Faribault County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Faribault County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 86% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1952.
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 Faribault County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 37.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 88.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.1% |
| Mapped soil | 461,600 acres |
How we count · survey areas MN043 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
On 88% of Faribault 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: 24.97 in, 8.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.59 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 76% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| 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
5 flood losses since 2016, $16,615 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.59 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 24.97 in (-8.62) |
| 2025 | 36.53 in (+2.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 46.59 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 15.76 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BRICELYN (11 mi away) | 7.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,897 |
| Median year built | 1952 |
| Built before 1980 | 86% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $135,300 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago County, IA | 23 mi | 18% | 82% |
| Blue Earth County, MN | 25 mi | 40% | 84% |
| Waseca County, MN | 30 mi | 17% | 88% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 30 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Martin County, MN | 30 mi | 9% | 87% |
| Kossuth County, IA | 35 mi | 18% | 90% |
| Watonwan County, MN | 39 mi | 12% | 87% |
| Worth County, IA | 41 mi | 10% | 80% |
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