Itasca County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Itasca County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 52% 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 Itasca County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.8% |
| Mapped soil | 1,874,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Warba | 7% | n/a |
| Nashwauk | 7% | n/a |
| Greenwood | 6% | n/a |
| Mooselake | 4% | n/a |
| Lupton | 4% | n/a |
| Eagleview | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN061 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Itasca 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: 20.42 in, 6.72 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.14 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 39 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 | 39% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $19,113 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.14 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.42 in (-6.72) |
| 2025 | 22.17 in (-4.97) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1905: 36.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 15.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at POKEGAMA DAM (17 mi away) | 5.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,679 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $225,200 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County, MN | 50 mi | 1% | 44% |
| St. Louis County, MN | 52 mi | 10% | 70% |
| Koochiching County, MN | 53 mi | 16% | 90% |
| Aitkin County, MN | 62 mi | 1% | 74% |
| Hubbard County, MN | 67 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Beltrami County, MN | 69 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Crow Wing County, MN | 72 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Carlton County, MN | 76 mi | 6% | 53% |
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