Goodhue County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Goodhue County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
87.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 37 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Goodhue County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.4% |
| Mapped soil | 499,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mt. Carroll | 13% | n/a |
| Hersey | 10% | n/a |
| Timula | 6% | n/a |
| Maxfield | 4% | n/a |
| Kasson | 4% | n/a |
| Marquis | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN049 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 48% of Goodhue 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: 22.97 in, 11.74 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.71 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
87.5% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 87.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 33.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
37 flood losses since 2016, $658,224 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 23. Median water depth outside the building: 21 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.71 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.97 in (-11.74) |
| 2025 | 31.40 in (-3.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 46.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 11.80 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ZUMBROTA (8 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,167 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $285,100 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota County, MN | 25 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Wabasha County, MN | 25 mi | 6% | 36% |
| Pierce County, WI | 26 mi | 8% | 39% |
| Dodge County, MN | 28 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Rice County, MN | 29 mi | 16% | 62% |
| Olmsted County, MN | 32 mi | 6% | 34% |
| Steele County, MN | 37 mi | 6% | 85% |
| Scott County, MN | 44 mi | 1% | 57% |
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