Dodge County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 90% of Dodge County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Dodge County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 281,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Readlyn | 20% | n/a |
| Tripoli | 12% | n/a |
| Marquis | 12% | n/a |
| Clyde | 9% | n/a |
| Kasson | 6% | n/a |
| Floyd | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN039 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 90% of Dodge 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: 28.86 in, 6.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.73 in.
USDA rates 97% 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. Part of the county was in drought in 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 52% of its area, on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 68.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $94,560 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.73 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.86 in (-6.87) |
| 2025 | 34.93 in (-0.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 51.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 13.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OWATONNA (19 mi away) | 8.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,484 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $287,700 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steele County, MN | 18 mi | 6% | 85% |
| Olmsted County, MN | 23 mi | 6% | 34% |
| Mower County, MN | 25 mi | 3% | 86% |
| Goodhue County, MN | 28 mi | 1% | 48% |
| Rice County, MN | 31 mi | 16% | 62% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 34 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Waseca County, MN | 36 mi | 17% | 88% |
| Wabasha County, MN | 37 mi | 6% | 36% |
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