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Mille Lacs County, Minnesota

A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Mille Lacs County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

77%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

48%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mille Lacs County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.8%
High water table (limits basements)76.8%
Septic fields very limited83.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.6%
Mapped soil436,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Brennyville12%n/a
Freer10%n/a
Cathro8%n/a
Cebana7%n/a
Milaca6%n/a
Seelyeville6%n/a
Kanabec County: 86%Benton County: 81%Isanti County: 57%Morrison County: 67%Sherburne County: 37%Pine County: 65%Crow Wing County: 51%Chisago County: 57%Mille Lacs County KanabecBentonIsantiMorrisonSherburnePineCrow WingChisagoMille Lacs
Mille Lacs County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas MN095 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 77% of Mille Lacs 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: 21.31 in, 9.17 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.48 in.

USDA rates 83% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $25,893 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20180
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202030.48 in
12 months to August 202621.31 in (-9.17)
202524.94 in (-5.54)
Wettest year since 18951968: 40.52 in
Driest year since 18951910: 13.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ONAMIA RS (10 mi away)6.2

Homes

Housing units13,069
Median year built1982
Built before 198048%
Built 2000 or later29%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$258,300
Single-family detached74%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Kanabec County, MN 16 mi 7% 86%
Benton County, MN 24 mi 1% 81%
Isanti County, MN 30 mi 1% 57%
Morrison County, MN 31 mi under 1% 67%
Sherburne County, MN 34 mi 0% 37%
Pine County, MN 43 mi 4% 65%
Crow Wing County, MN 44 mi 1% 51%
Chisago County, MN 46 mi 1% 57%

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