Roseau County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 98% of Roseau County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the 5th highest of 87 Minnesota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Roseau County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 97.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,073,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Percy | 20% | n/a |
| Boash | 4% | n/a |
| Seelyeville | 3% | n/a |
| Redby | 3% | n/a |
| Skagen | 3% | n/a |
| Cormant | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN135 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 98% of Roseau 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: 18.97 in, 4.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.85 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Roseau County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.97 in (-4.88) |
| 2025 | 18.81 in (-5.04) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 31.88 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 12.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARROAD (24 mi away) | 4.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,224 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $183,700 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall County, MN | 37 mi | 21% | 98% |
| Lake of the Woods County, MN | 42 mi | 5% | 67% |
| Kittson County, MN | 44 mi | 35% | 98% |
| Pennington County, MN | 49 mi | 5% | 98% |
| Red Lake County, MN | 63 mi | 11% | 98% |
| Beltrami County, MN | 72 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Polk County, MN | 73 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Pembina County, ND | 79 mi | 29% | 94% |
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