Stearns County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Stearns County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 24 flood losses here since 2016, 45% of them in buildings with basements. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Stearns County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 889,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Cushing | 5% | n/a |
| Arvilla | 5% | n/a |
| Seelyeville | 4% | n/a |
| Nebish | 4% | n/a |
| Hubbard | 4% | n/a |
| Koronis | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN145 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Stearns 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: 21.85 in, 7.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.25 in.
USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 3 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 | 2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
24 flood losses since 2016, $277,749 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 13. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 45% basements, 25% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 20% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.25 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.85 in (-7.40) |
| 2025 | 31.69 in (+2.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1986: 38.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 12.39 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COLLEGEVILLE ST JOHN'S (11 mi away) | 7.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 66,625 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $273,400 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meeker County, MN | 30 mi | 15% | 71% |
| Benton County, MN | 31 mi | 1% | 81% |
| Kandiyohi County, MN | 34 mi | 11% | 62% |
| Morrison County, MN | 36 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Todd County, MN | 38 mi | under 1% | 53% |
| Pope County, MN | 40 mi | 4% | 52% |
| Wright County, MN | 41 mi | 1% | 58% |
| Sherburne County, MN | 41 mi | 0% | 37% |
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