Meeker County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 71% of Meeker County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
36.1% 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. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Meeker County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.0% |
| Mapped soil | 412,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Koronis | 7% | n/a |
| Swedegrove | 3% | n/a |
| Wadenill | 3% | n/a |
| Muskego | 3% | n/a |
| Klossner | 3% | n/a |
| Lundlake | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN093 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.6% by land area here, and 15% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 36.1% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Meeker County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 71% of Meeker 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: 23.23 in, 5.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.71 in.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
36.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 8 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 36.1% of its area, in 2 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 | 36.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $12,949 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.71 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 23.23 in (-5.48) |
| 2025 | 31.74 in (+3.03) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 39.28 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 13.21 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DASSEL 3SE (13 mi away) | 7.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,735 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $249,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kandiyohi County, MN | 23 mi | 11% | 62% |
| McLeod County, MN | 24 mi | 3% | 87% |
| Wright County, MN | 28 mi | 1% | 58% |
| Stearns County, MN | 30 mi | 1% | 54% |
| Renville County, MN | 35 mi | 17% | 90% |
| Sibley County, MN | 41 mi | 12% | 91% |
| Carver County, MN | 41 mi | 4% | 74% |
| Sherburne County, MN | 43 mi | 0% | 37% |
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