Pine County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 65% of Pine County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% 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 32 flood losses here since 2016, 30% of them in buildings with basements. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Pine County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 64.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.3% |
| Mapped soil | 917,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mora | 8% | n/a |
| Milaca | 4% | n/a |
| Cathro | 4% | n/a |
| Millward | 4% | n/a |
| Seelyeville | 3% | n/a |
| Ronneby | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN115 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 65% of Pine 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: 21.83 in, 9.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 31.45 in.
USDA rates 69% 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.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 76.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
32 flood losses since 2016, $856,380 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 22. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 30% basements, 20% slabs, 30% crawl spaces, 20% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 22 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.45 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.83 in (-9.62) |
| 2025 | 25.61 in (-5.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1968: 43.25 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 15.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BRUNO 7ENE (18 mi away) | 6.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,284 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $239,300 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnett County, WI | 25 mi | 3% | 41% |
| Kanabec County, MN | 28 mi | 7% | 86% |
| Carlton County, MN | 35 mi | 6% | 53% |
| Chisago County, MN | 42 mi | 1% | 57% |
| Mille Lacs County, MN | 43 mi | 4% | 77% |
| Isanti County, MN | 45 mi | 1% | 57% |
| Polk County, WI | 46 mi | under 1% | 33% |
| Aitkin County, MN | 47 mi | 1% | 74% |
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