Clay County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Clay County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Clay County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 17.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.1% |
| Mapped soil | 674,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | 9% | n/a |
| Bearden | 7% | n/a |
| Glyndon | 6% | n/a |
| Colvin | 5% | n/a |
| Hokans | 5% | n/a |
| Wheatville | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN027 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 17% of Clay County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 84% of Clay 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: 16.44 in, 8.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.02 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 86.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 20% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $65,296 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.44 in (-8.58) |
| 2025 | 22.02 in (-3.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2010: 32.15 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 10.49 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FARGO HECTOR INTL AP (15 mi away) | 4.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 27,559 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $265,500 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman County, MN | 30 mi | 27% | 93% |
| Becker County, MN | 36 mi | 4% | 44% |
| Cass County, ND | 36 mi | 44% | 88% |
| Wilkin County, MN | 37 mi | 17% | 95% |
| Mahnomen County, MN | 44 mi | 13% | 69% |
| Richland County, ND | 49 mi | 29% | 90% |
| Traill County, ND | 49 mi | 36% | 94% |
| Otter Tail County, MN | 50 mi | 3% | 40% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status