Scott County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 57% of Scott County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
53.8% 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. 23% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
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 Scott County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.0% |
| Mapped soil | 235,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lester | 17% | n/a |
| Hayden | 17% | n/a |
| Webster | 9% | 100% |
| Le Sueur | 6% | n/a |
| Glencoe | 6% | n/a |
| Houghton | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN139 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 57% of Scott 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: 23.98 in, 8.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.93 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
53.8% 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 77.3% of its area, on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 53.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $7,409 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.93 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 23.98 in (-8.95) |
| 2025 | 31.35 in (-1.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 42.39 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 12.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JORDAN 1SSW (5 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 56,671 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 23% |
| Built 2000 or later | 43% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $419,400 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carver County, MN | 18 mi | 4% | 74% |
| Le Sueur County, MN | 21 mi | 16% | 71% |
| Dakota County, MN | 23 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Rice County, MN | 24 mi | 16% | 62% |
| Hennepin County, MN | 25 mi | 3% | 43% |
| Ramsey County, MN | 33 mi | 0% | 14% |
| Sibley County, MN | 35 mi | 12% | 91% |
| McLeod County, MN | 38 mi | 3% | 87% |
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