Dakota County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Dakota County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 43 flood losses here since 2016, 27% of them in buildings with basements. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Dakota County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.8% |
| Mapped soil | 375,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Waukegan | 10% | n/a |
| Wadena | 8% | n/a |
| Kingsley | 6% | n/a |
| Ostrander | 5% | n/a |
| Estherville | 3% | n/a |
| Hawick | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN037 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 23% of Dakota 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: 22.64 in, 10.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.99 in.
USDA rates 74% 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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 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 | 65.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
43 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 19. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 27% basements, 50% slabs, 23% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 39 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.64 in (-10.35) |
| 2025 | 33.88 in (+0.89) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2002: 41.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 11.69 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HASTINGS DAM 2 (11 mi away) | 7.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 178,879 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $381,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, MN | 23 mi | 1% | 57% |
| Ramsey County, MN | 24 mi | 0% | 14% |
| Rice County, MN | 25 mi | 16% | 62% |
| Goodhue County, MN | 25 mi | 1% | 48% |
| Washington County, MN | 27 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Hennepin County, MN | 31 mi | 3% | 43% |
| Pierce County, WI | 31 mi | 8% | 39% |
| Carver County, MN | 38 mi | 4% | 74% |
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