Kittson County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 98% of Kittson County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the highest of 87 Minnesota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Kittson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 98.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.5% |
| Mapped soil | 707,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Northcote | 18% | n/a |
| Percy | 7% | n/a |
| Rosewood | 6% | n/a |
| Strathcona | 5% | n/a |
| Eaglepoint | 5% | n/a |
| Poppleton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN069 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.3% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
On 98% of Kittson 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: 20.24 in, 2.38 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.62 in.
USDA rates over 99% 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 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
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.62 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.24 in (-2.38) |
| 2025 | 18.08 in (-4.54) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2010: 29.94 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1952: 11.76 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PEMBINA (25 mi away) | 4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,228 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $134,800 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County, MN | 34 mi | 21% | 98% |
| Pembina County, ND | 35 mi | 29% | 94% |
| Roseau County, MN | 44 mi | 9% | 98% |
| Walsh County, ND | 51 mi | 21% | 80% |
| Pennington County, MN | 60 mi | 5% | 98% |
| Grand Forks County, ND | 66 mi | 9% | 83% |
| Red Lake County, MN | 71 mi | 11% | 98% |
| Polk County, MN | 71 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