Jackson County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Jackson County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Jackson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.6% |
| Mapped soil | 460,500 acres |
How we count · survey areas MN063 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
On 85% of Jackson 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: 23.03 in, 7.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.98 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 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the April 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 92.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $349,440 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 23.03 in (-7.95) |
| 2025 | 27.77 in (-3.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 46.74 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1958: 15.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINDOM (14 mi away) | 7.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,905 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,100 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County, IA | 20 mi | 10% | 75% |
| Cottonwood County, MN | 23 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Martin County, MN | 30 mi | 9% | 87% |
| Nobles County, MN | 31 mi | 10% | 90% |
| Emmet County, IA | 31 mi | 10% | 84% |
| Osceola County, IA | 32 mi | 21% | 76% |
| Watonwan County, MN | 34 mi | 12% | 87% |
| Murray County, MN | 39 mi | 10% | 85% |
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