Ramsey County, Minnesota
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Ramsey County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 14%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1965.
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 Ramsey County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 42.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 33.4% |
| Mapped soil | 108,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Kingsley | 8% | n/a |
| Zimmerman | 6% | n/a |
| Hayden | 5% | n/a |
| Chetek | 4% | n/a |
| Waukegan | 3% | n/a |
| Mahtomedi | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN123 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.38 in, 11.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.51 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 14% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Ramsey County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 12 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $16,839 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.51 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.38 in (-11.13) |
| 2025 | 32.06 in (-0.45) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 41.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 11.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at VADNAIS LAKE (2 mi away) | 7.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 233,870 |
| Median year built | 1965 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $326,600 |
| Single-family detached | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MN | 10 mi | under 1% | 23% |
| Hennepin County, MN | 18 mi | 3% | 43% |
| Anoka County, MN | 19 mi | under 1% | 47% |
| Dakota County, MN | 24 mi | 2% | 23% |
| St. Croix County, WI | 32 mi | under 1% | 33% |
| Scott County, MN | 33 mi | 1% | 57% |
| Chisago County, MN | 35 mi | 1% | 57% |
| Carver County, MN | 37 mi | 4% | 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