Polk County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Polk County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
9.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Polk County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.7% |
| Mapped soil | 1,278,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Colvin | 13% | n/a |
| Bearden | 12% | n/a |
| Perella | 5% | n/a |
| Chapett | 5% | n/a |
| Hedman | 3% | n/a |
| Fargo | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN119 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 85% of Polk 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: 16.60 in, 6.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.23 in.
USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
9.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 78.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 9.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
30 flood losses since 2016, $223,943 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 18.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.23 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.60 in (-6.63) |
| 2025 | 19.52 in (-3.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2010: 29.87 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 10.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RED LAKE FALLS (9 mi away) | 4.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,697 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $222,800 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lake County, MN | 16 mi | 11% | 98% |
| Pennington County, MN | 26 mi | 5% | 98% |
| Norman County, MN | 31 mi | 27% | 93% |
| Marshall County, MN | 41 mi | 21% | 98% |
| Mahnomen County, MN | 41 mi | 13% | 69% |
| Traill County, ND | 42 mi | 36% | 94% |
| Clearwater County, MN | 50 mi | 9% | 60% |
| Grand Forks County, ND | 50 mi | 9% | 83% |
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