Lyon County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Lyon County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Lyon County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.4% |
| Mapped soil | 461,800 acres |
How we count · survey areas MN083 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 87% of Lyon 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: 20.36 in, 8.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.56 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 11 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
5 flood losses since 2016, $21,069 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.36 in (-8.20) |
| 2025 | 31.40 in (+2.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 41.96 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 12.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARSHALL (5 mi away) | 6.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,269 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $200,700 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, MN | 21 mi | 13% | 83% |
| Yellow Medicine County, MN | 21 mi | 9% | 87% |
| Murray County, MN | 28 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Redwood County, MN | 29 mi | 11% | 91% |
| Pipestone County, MN | 34 mi | 8% | 75% |
| Cottonwood County, MN | 43 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Lac qui Parle County, MN | 44 mi | 9% | 74% |
| Chippewa County, MN | 45 mi | 2% | 77% |
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