Lincoln County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Lincoln County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.
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. 75% 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 Lincoln County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 12.8% |
| Mapped soil | 351,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Barnes | 14% | 20% |
| Buse | 10% | n/a |
| Parnell | 9% | n/a |
| Svea | 6% | n/a |
| Hokans | 5% | n/a |
| Lakepark | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN081 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 83% of Lincoln 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: 20.80 in, 7.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.44 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.80 in (-7.64) |
| 2025 | 30.62 in (+2.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 42.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 12.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CANBY (21 mi away) | 6.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,045 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $164,400 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County, MN | 21 mi | 10% | 87% |
| Brookings County, SD | 26 mi | 10% | 67% |
| Pipestone County, MN | 27 mi | 8% | 75% |
| Yellow Medicine County, MN | 29 mi | 9% | 87% |
| Deuel County, SD | 32 mi | 13% | 71% |
| Moody County, SD | 34 mi | 10% | 36% |
| Murray County, MN | 37 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Lac qui Parle County, MN | 41 mi | 9% | 74% |
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