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Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 74% of Lac qui Parle County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1951.
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 Lac qui Parle County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 73.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.2% |
| Mapped soil | 498,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Amiret | 7% | n/a |
| Glencoe | 5% | n/a |
| Normania | 4% | n/a |
| Harps | 3% | n/a |
| Webster | 3% | 100% |
| Seaforth | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN073 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 74% of Lac qui Parle 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: 18.50 in, 7.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.41 in.
USDA rates 80% 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 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 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 | 40.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $5,155 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 26.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.50 in (-7.91) |
| 2025 | 32.22 in (+5.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1977: 36.15 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 10.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MADISON WWTP (1 mi away) | 5.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,469 |
| Median year built | 1951 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,600 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Medicine County, MN | 25 mi | 9% | 87% |
| Chippewa County, MN | 30 mi | 2% | 77% |
| Deuel County, SD | 30 mi | 13% | 71% |
| Swift County, MN | 30 mi | 6% | 78% |
| Big Stone County, MN | 31 mi | 15% | 73% |
| Grant County, SD | 31 mi | 26% | 56% |
| Lincoln County, MN | 41 mi | 13% | 83% |
| Stevens County, MN | 42 mi | 11% | 75% |
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