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Otter Tail County, Minnesota

A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of Otter Tail County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.

45.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

40%

high water table: limits basements

46%

in drought, October 13, 2026

51%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Otter Tail County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.0%
High water table (limits basements)39.6%
Septic fields very limited69.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.9%
Mapped soil1,423,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Dorset4%n/a
Seelyeville4%n/a
Kandota4%n/a
Snellman3%n/a
Lida3%n/a
Chapett3%n/a
Douglas County: 46%Grant County: 78%Wilkin County: 95%Wadena County: 67%Becker County: 44%Todd County: 53%Clay County: 84%Traverse County: 94%Otter Tail County DouglasGrantWilkinWadenaBeckerToddClayTraverseOtter Tail
Otter Tail 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 MN111 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 40% of Otter Tail 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: 23.53 in, 3.16 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.69 in.

USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

45.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 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 worse45.7%
D2 severe or worse0.7%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $5,020 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20180
20190
20203
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202026.69 in
12 months to August 202623.53 in (-3.16)
202525.47 in (-1.22)
Wettest year since 18952010: 34.50 in
Driest year since 18951976: 11.39 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEW YORK MILLS (18 mi away)5.7

Homes

Housing units36,698
Median year built1979
Built before 198051%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$273,000
Single-family detached81%

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
Douglas County, MN 35 mi 5% 46%
Grant County, MN 36 mi 3% 78%
Wilkin County, MN 36 mi 17% 95%
Wadena County, MN 37 mi under 1% 67%
Becker County, MN 37 mi 4% 44%
Todd County, MN 45 mi under 1% 53%
Clay County, MN 50 mi 17% 84%
Traverse County, MN 57 mi 21% 94%

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