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Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 67% of Lake of the Woods County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None 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. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Lake of the Woods County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 67.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,138,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Cathro | 7% | n/a |
| Rifle | 7% | n/a |
| Markey | 5% | n/a |
| Lupton | 4% | n/a |
| Cormant | 3% | n/a |
| Grygla | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN077 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 67% of Lake of the Woods 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: 20.66 in, 4.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.71 in.
USDA rates 68% 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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 73.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $7,798 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.71 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.66 in (-4.05) |
| 2025 | 21.34 in (-3.37) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1905: 32.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 13.29 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BAUDETTE INTL AP (14 mi away) | 4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,497 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $216,100 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roseau County, MN | 42 mi | 9% | 98% |
| Beltrami County, MN | 62 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Koochiching County, MN | 63 mi | 16% | 90% |
| Pennington County, MN | 71 mi | 5% | 98% |
| Marshall County, MN | 72 mi | 21% | 98% |
| Red Lake County, MN | 83 mi | 11% | 98% |
| Clearwater County, MN | 85 mi | 9% | 60% |
| Kittson County, MN | 85 mi | 35% | 98% |
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