Renville County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 90% of Renville County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Renville County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 17.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 90.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.6% |
| Mapped soil | 632,100 acres |
How we count · survey areas MN129 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
On 90% of Renville 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: 18.21 in, 11.21 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.42 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% 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 9.7% of its area, on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 46.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $10,332 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.42 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.21 in (-11.21) |
| 2025 | 24.84 in (-4.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 39.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 14.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at REDWOOD FALLS MUNI AP (14 mi away) | 5.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,916 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,200 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood County, MN | 27 mi | 11% | 91% |
| Kandiyohi County, MN | 30 mi | 11% | 62% |
| McLeod County, MN | 34 mi | 3% | 87% |
| Meeker County, MN | 35 mi | 15% | 71% |
| Brown County, MN | 35 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Chippewa County, MN | 36 mi | 2% | 77% |
| Sibley County, MN | 37 mi | 12% | 91% |
| Nicollet County, MN | 43 mi | 10% | 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