Todd County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 53% of Todd County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
100% 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. 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 Todd County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.5% |
| Mapped soil | 626,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rockwood | 10% | n/a |
| Blowers | 9% | n/a |
| Kandota | 6% | n/a |
| Rifle | 5% | n/a |
| Runeberg | 5% | n/a |
| Cushing | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN153 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 53% of Todd 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: 22.13 in, 6.31 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.44 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 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 | 3.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $29,835 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.13 in (-6.31) |
| 2025 | 29.38 in (+0.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 36.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 12.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LONG PRAIRIE (7 mi away) | 6.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,008 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $207,700 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, MN | 28 mi | 5% | 46% |
| Morrison County, MN | 31 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Wadena County, MN | 36 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Stearns County, MN | 38 mi | 1% | 54% |
| Pope County, MN | 42 mi | 4% | 52% |
| Otter Tail County, MN | 45 mi | 3% | 40% |
| Crow Wing County, MN | 49 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Benton County, MN | 50 mi | 1% | 81% |
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