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Blue Earth County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Blue Earth County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 40%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses here since 2016, 57% of them in buildings with basements. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Blue Earth County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 40.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 40.0% |
| Mapped soil | 490,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Marna | 7% | n/a |
| Beauford | 6% | n/a |
| Minnetonka | 5% | n/a |
| Lura | 4% | n/a |
| Guckeen | 4% | n/a |
| Webster | 4% | 100% |
How we count · survey areas MN013 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 40% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 40% of the mapped land.
On 84% of Blue Earth County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 24.69 in, 8.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.16 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
32 flood losses since 2016, $752,623 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 14. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 57% basements, 19% slabs, 24% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 24.69 in (-8.47) |
| 2025 | 32.64 in (-0.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2016: 46.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 14.89 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at AMBOY (11 mi away) | 8.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 29,864 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $266,700 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca County, MN | 24 mi | 17% | 88% |
| Nicollet County, MN | 25 mi | 10% | 83% |
| Faribault County, MN | 25 mi | 37% | 88% |
| Watonwan County, MN | 28 mi | 12% | 87% |
| Le Sueur County, MN | 29 mi | 16% | 71% |
| Martin County, MN | 34 mi | 9% | 87% |
| Brown County, MN | 36 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Sibley County, MN | 39 mi | 12% | 91% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status