Pipestone County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Pipestone County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
100% 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. 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
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 Pipestone County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.5% |
| Mapped soil | 298,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Brookings | 19% | n/a |
| Kranzburg | 14% | n/a |
| Estelline | 7% | n/a |
| Hidewood | 6% | n/a |
| Vienna | 5% | n/a |
| Lamoure | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN117 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Pipestone 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: 18.92 in, 9.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.74 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $136,080 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.92 in (-9.82) |
| 2025 | 24.57 in (-4.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 41.15 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 11.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PIPESTONE (3 mi away) | 5.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,325 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,200 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moody County, SD | 21 mi | 10% | 36% |
| Rock County, MN | 24 mi | 24% | 54% |
| Murray County, MN | 25 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Lincoln County, MN | 27 mi | 13% | 83% |
| Nobles County, MN | 34 mi | 10% | 90% |
| Lyon County, MN | 34 mi | 10% | 87% |
| Minnehaha County, SD | 36 mi | 17% | 32% |
| Brookings County, SD | 37 mi | 10% | 67% |
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