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Minnesota soil by county

Across Minnesota's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9% and a shallow water table limits basements on 68%.

Highest clay shares: Blue Earth County (40%), Faribault County (37%), Kittson County (35%), Norman County (27%), Jackson County (25%). Highest water-table shares: Kittson County (98%), Pennington County (98%), Red Lake County (98%), Marshall County (98%), Roseau County (98%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 87 counties

Aitkin County: 1%Anoka County: 0%Becker County: 4%Beltrami County: 2%Benton County: 1%Big Stone County: 15%Blue Earth County: 40%Brown County: 10%Carlton County: 6%Carver County: 4%Cass County: 1%Chippewa County: 2%Chisago County: 1%Clay County: 17%Clearwater County: 9%Cook County: 3%Cottonwood County: 8%Crow Wing County: 1%Dakota County: 2%Dodge County: 1%Douglas County: 5%Faribault County: 37%Fillmore County: 8%Freeborn County: 13%Goodhue County: 1%Grant County: 3%Hennepin County: 3%Houston County: 5%Hubbard County: 0%Isanti County: 1%Itasca County: 8%Jackson County: 25%Kanabec County: 7%Kandiyohi County: 11%Kittson County: 35%Koochiching County: 16%Lac qui Parle County: 9%Lake County: 5%Lake of the Woods County: 5%Le Sueur County: 16%Lincoln County: 13%Lyon County: 10%Mahnomen County: 13%Marshall County: 21%Martin County: 9%McLeod County: 3%Meeker County: 15%Mille Lacs County: 4%Morrison County: 0%Mower County: 3%Murray County: 10%Nicollet County: 10%Nobles County: 10%Norman County: 27%Olmsted County: 6%Otter Tail County: 3%Pennington County: 5%Pine County: 4%Pipestone County: 8%Polk County: 10%Pope County: 4%Ramsey County: 0%Red Lake County: 11%Redwood County: 11%Renville County: 17%Rice County: 16%Rock County: 24%Roseau County: 9%Scott County: 1%Sherburne County: 0%Sibley County: 12%St. Louis County: 10%Stearns County: 1%Steele County: 6%Stevens County: 11%Swift County: 6%Todd County: 0%Traverse County: 21%Wabasha County: 6%Wadena County: 0%Waseca County: 17%Washington County: 0%Watonwan County: 12%Wilkin County: 17%Winona County: 6%Wright County: 1%Yellow Medicine County: 9%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Aitkin County: 74%Anoka County: 47%Becker County: 44%Beltrami County: 63%Benton County: 81%Big Stone County: 73%Blue Earth County: 84%Brown County: 85%Carlton County: 53%Carver County: 74%Cass County: 44%Chippewa County: 77%Chisago County: 57%Clay County: 84%Clearwater County: 60%Cook County: 45%Cottonwood County: 86%Crow Wing County: 51%Dakota County: 23%Dodge County: 90%Douglas County: 46%Faribault County: 88%Fillmore County: 21%Freeborn County: 82%Goodhue County: 48%Grant County: 78%Hennepin County: 43%Houston County: 16%Hubbard County: 26%Isanti County: 57%Itasca County: 54%Jackson County: 85%Kanabec County: 86%Kandiyohi County: 62%Kittson County: 98%Koochiching County: 90%Lac qui Parle County: 74%Lake County: 57%Lake of the Woods County: 67%Le Sueur County: 71%Lincoln County: 83%Lyon County: 87%Mahnomen County: 69%Marshall County: 98%Martin County: 87%McLeod County: 87%Meeker County: 71%Mille Lacs County: 77%Morrison County: 67%Mower County: 86%Murray County: 85%Nicollet County: 83%Nobles County: 90%Norman County: 93%Olmsted County: 34%Otter Tail County: 40%Pennington County: 98%Pine County: 65%Pipestone County: 75%Polk County: 85%Pope County: 52%Ramsey County: 14%Red Lake County: 98%Redwood County: 91%Renville County: 90%Rice County: 62%Rock County: 54%Roseau County: 98%Scott County: 57%Sherburne County: 37%Sibley County: 91%St. Louis County: 70%Stearns County: 54%Steele County: 85%Stevens County: 75%Swift County: 78%Todd County: 53%Traverse County: 94%Wabasha County: 36%Wadena County: 67%Waseca County: 88%Washington County: 23%Watonwan County: 87%Wilkin County: 95%Winona County: 15%Wright County: 58%Yellow Medicine County: 87%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in Minnesota

Select a column heading to sort.
Aitkin County 1% 74% 100% 3 1982
Anoka County under 1% 47% 100% 24 1986
Becker County 4% 44% 100% 2 1981
Beltrami County 2% 63% 44% 1 1987
Benton County 1% 81% 100% 3 1986
Big Stone County 15% 73% 98% 3 1959
Blue Earth County 40% 84% 0% 32 1978
Brown County 10% 85% 0% 6 1963
Carlton County 6% 53% 100% 3 1975
Carver County 4% 74% 32% 2 1996
Cass County 1% 44% 100% 0 1990
Chippewa County 2% 77% 50% 5 1957
Chisago County 1% 57% 100% 6 1992
Clay County 17% 84% 100% 4 1981
Clearwater County 9% 60% 69% 0 1980
Cook County 3% 45% 100% 4 1988
Cottonwood County 8% 86% 14% 29 1963
Crow Wing County 1% 51% 100% 6 1988
Dakota County 2% 23% 97% 43 1988
Dodge County 1% 90% 0% 6 1979
Douglas County 5% 46% 100% 0 1986
Faribault County 37% 88% 0% 5 1952
Fillmore County 8% 21% 0% 8 1966
Freeborn County 13% 82% 0% 8 1959
Goodhue County 1% 48% 69% 37 1973
Grant County 3% 78% 100% 0 1966
Hennepin County 3% 43% 100% 55 1973
Houston County 5% 16% 0% 7 1972
Hubbard County 0% 26% 100% 1 1985
Isanti County 1% 57% 100% 4 1988
Itasca County 8% 54% 100% 1 1979
Jackson County 25% 85% 0% 9 1959
Kanabec County 7% 86% 100% 10 1983
Kandiyohi County 11% 62% 0% 3 1978
Kittson County 35% 98% 13% 2 1967
Koochiching County 16% 90% 93% 9 1972
Lac qui Parle County 9% 74% 96% 3 1951
Lake County 5% 57% 100% 4 1969
Lake of the Woods County 5% 67% 0% 1 1986
Le Sueur County 16% 71% 0% 39 1974
Lincoln County 13% 83% 100% 1 1959
Lyon County 10% 87% 100% 5 1972
Mahnomen County 13% 69% 100% 1 1975
Marshall County 21% 98% 0% 8 1971
Martin County 9% 87% 0% 0 1960
McLeod County 3% 87% 0% 3 1979
Meeker County 15% 71% 9% 1 1975
Mille Lacs County 4% 77% 100% 2 1982
Morrison County under 1% 67% 100% 33 1977
Mower County 3% 86% 0% 18 1958
Murray County 10% 85% 100% 9 1963
Nicollet County 10% 83% 0% 10 1979
Nobles County 10% 90% 24% 14 1967
Norman County 27% 93% 100% 3 1959
Olmsted County 6% 34% 0% 19 1989
Otter Tail County 3% 40% 100% 4 1979
Pennington County 5% 98% 2% 2 1974
Pine County 4% 65% 100% 32 1984
Pipestone County 8% 75% 100% 4 1956
Polk County 10% 85% 83% 30 1971
Pope County 4% 52% 44% 0 1971
Ramsey County 0% 14% 100% 15 1965
Red Lake County 11% 98% 48% 0 1969
Redwood County 11% 91% 57% 0 1965
Renville County 17% 90% 2% 3 1959
Rice County 16% 62% 2% 28 1978
Rock County 24% 54% 65% 4 1960
Roseau County 9% 98% 46% 0 1982
Scott County 1% 57% 35% 4 1997
Sherburne County 0% 37% 100% 18 1996
Sibley County 12% 91% 0% 4 1964
St. Louis County 10% 70% 100% 15 1962
Stearns County 1% 54% 93% 24 1985
Steele County 6% 85% 0% 18 1975
Stevens County 11% 75% 99% 0 1971
Swift County 6% 78% 40% 2 1958
Todd County under 1% 53% 100% 3 1975
Traverse County 21% 94% 100% 5 1962
Wabasha County 6% 36% 27% 21 1976
Wadena County under 1% 67% 100% 0 1974
Waseca County 17% 88% 0% 6 1970
Washington County under 1% 23% 100% 54 1992
Watonwan County 12% 87% 0% 12 1962
Wilkin County 17% 95% 100% 1 1969
Winona County 6% 15% 0% 2 1969
Wright County 1% 58% 88% 7 1995
Yellow Medicine County 9% 87% 100% 5 1958

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.