Mower County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Mower County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Mower County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.2% |
| Mapped soil | 455,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tripoli | 16% | n/a |
| Oran | 10% | n/a |
| Clyde | 9% | n/a |
| Readlyn | 8% | n/a |
| Skyberg | 5% | n/a |
| Udolpho | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN099 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 86% of Mower 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: 35.69 in, 0.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.42 in.
USDA rates 98% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 15.1% of its area, on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
18 flood losses since 2016, $448,480 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.42 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.69 in (-0.73) |
| 2025 | 39.90 in (+3.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 48.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 15.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRAND MEADOW (10 mi away) | 8.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,014 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $185,200 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County, IA | 22 mi | 4% | 75% |
| Dodge County, MN | 25 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Olmsted County, MN | 29 mi | 6% | 34% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 30 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Howard County, IA | 30 mi | 1% | 76% |
| Worth County, IA | 32 mi | 10% | 80% |
| Fillmore County, MN | 33 mi | 8% | 21% |
| Steele County, MN | 34 mi | 6% | 85% |
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