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Washington County, Minnesota

A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Washington County's mapped land. 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 54 flood losses here since 2016, 48% of them in buildings with basements. 33% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

23%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

33%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Washington County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)under 0.1%
High water table (limits basements)22.5%
Septic fields very limited76.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.6%
Urban land, not rated2.9%
Mapped soil270,500 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Antigo9%n/a
Chetek6%n/a
Santiago5%n/a
Mahtomedi5%n/a
Kingsley4%n/a
Ostrander3%n/a
Ramsey County: 14%St. Croix County: 33%Anoka County: 47%Dakota County: 23%Hennepin County: 43%Chisago County: 57%Pierce County: 39%Polk County: 33%Washington County RamseySt. CroixAnokaDakotaHennepinChisagoPiercePolkWashington
Washington County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas MN163 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 23% of Washington 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: 22.09 in, 10.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.97 in.

USDA rates 76% 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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

54 flood losses since 2016, $691,249 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 27. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 48% basements, 8% crawl spaces, 44% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.

YearFlood losses
20162
20170
20181
201927
20207
20210
20222
202313
20241
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202032.97 in
12 months to August 202622.09 in (-10.88)
202532.44 in (-0.53)
Wettest year since 18951975: 41.26 in
Driest year since 18951910: 12.04 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at VADNAIS LAKE (10 mi away)7.6

Homes

Housing units109,307
Median year built1992
Built before 198033%
Built 2000 or later34%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$422,000
Single-family detached67%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Ramsey County, MN 10 mi 0% 14%
St. Croix County, WI 22 mi under 1% 33%
Anoka County, MN 23 mi under 1% 47%
Dakota County, MN 27 mi 2% 23%
Hennepin County, MN 29 mi 3% 43%
Chisago County, MN 32 mi 1% 57%
Pierce County, WI 32 mi 8% 39%
Polk County, WI 36 mi under 1% 33%

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