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Cottonwood County, Minnesota

A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Cottonwood County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.

13.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 29 flood losses here since 2016, 93% of them in buildings with basements. 78% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

8%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

86%

high water table: limits basements

13%

in drought, October 13, 2026

78%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cottonwood County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.5%
High water table (limits basements)85.8%
Septic fields very limited90.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.6%
Mapped soil415,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Clarion16%61%
Webster13%100%
Nicollet11%n/a
Delft5%n/a
Canisteo4%100%
Storden4%n/a
Jackson County: 85%Redwood County: 91%Brown County: 85%Watonwan County: 87%Murray County: 85%Nobles County: 90%Martin County: 87%Lyon County: 87%Cottonwood County JacksonRedwoodBrownWatonwanMurrayNoblesMartinLyonCottonwood
Cottonwood County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas MN033 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 86% of Cottonwood 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: 21.75 in, 9.17 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.92 in.

USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

13.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 22 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse13.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

29 flood losses since 2016, $415,069 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 23. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 93% basements, 7% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20185
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
202423
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202030.92 in
12 months to August 202621.75 in (-9.17)
202526.84 in (-4.08)
Wettest year since 18952018: 43.43 in
Driest year since 18951910: 15.02 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINDOM (10 mi away)7.2

Homes

Housing units5,168
Median year built1963
Built before 198078%
Built 2000 or later9%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$169,300
Single-family detached84%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Jackson County, MN 23 mi 25% 85%
Redwood County, MN 27 mi 11% 91%
Brown County, MN 28 mi 10% 85%
Watonwan County, MN 28 mi 12% 87%
Murray County, MN 29 mi 10% 85%
Nobles County, MN 37 mi 10% 90%
Martin County, MN 39 mi 9% 87%
Lyon County, MN 43 mi 10% 87%

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