Steele County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Steele County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Steele County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.4% |
| Mapped soil | 276,600 acres |
How we count · survey areas MN147 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 85% of Steele 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: 28.31 in, 7.32 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.63 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 1.7% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 32.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
18 flood losses since 2016, $440,845 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 13.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.31 in (-7.32) |
| 2025 | 37.33 in (+1.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 49.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 13.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OWATONNA (6 mi away) | 8.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,995 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $245,400 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca County, MN | 18 mi | 17% | 88% |
| Dodge County, MN | 18 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Rice County, MN | 23 mi | 16% | 62% |
| Freeborn County, MN | 24 mi | 13% | 82% |
| Mower County, MN | 34 mi | 3% | 86% |
| Le Sueur County, MN | 35 mi | 16% | 71% |
| Goodhue County, MN | 37 mi | 1% | 48% |
| Olmsted County, MN | 41 mi | 6% | 34% |
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