Traverse County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 94% of Traverse County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 7th highest of 87 Minnesota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Traverse County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 93.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 40.1% |
| Mapped soil | 375,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Doran | 16% | n/a |
| Antler | 10% | n/a |
| Mustinka | 10% | n/a |
| Aazdahl | 8% | n/a |
| Flom | 5% | n/a |
| Bearden | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN155 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 40% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Traverse County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 94% of Traverse 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: 20.40 in, 4.60 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.00 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 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 | 25.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $140,960 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.00 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.40 in (-4.60) |
| 2025 | 29.31 in (+4.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1962: 32.28 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 8.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WHEATON (3 mi away) | 5.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,896 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $114,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone County, MN | 24 mi | 15% | 73% |
| Grant County, MN | 25 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Roberts County, SD | 25 mi | 26% | 60% |
| Stevens County, MN | 26 mi | 11% | 75% |
| Richland County, ND | 41 mi | 29% | 90% |
| Wilkin County, MN | 41 mi | 17% | 95% |
| Grant County, SD | 44 mi | 26% | 56% |
| Douglas County, MN | 50 mi | 5% | 46% |
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