Wilkin County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 95% of Wilkin County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 6th highest of 87 Minnesota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Wilkin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 17.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 42.5% |
| Mapped soil | 481,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Antler | 19% | n/a |
| Doran | 14% | n/a |
| Mustinka | 8% | n/a |
| Elmville | 5% | n/a |
| Fargo | 3% | n/a |
| Croke | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN167 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 17% of Wilkin County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 95% of Wilkin 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: 19.81 in, 5.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.86 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 14 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 | 70% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 31.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 19.81 in (-5.05) |
| 2025 | 24.93 in (+0.07) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2005: 33.35 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 8.44 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROTHSAY (12 mi away) | 5.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,983 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $182,200 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County, ND | 23 mi | 29% | 90% |
| Otter Tail County, MN | 36 mi | 3% | 40% |
| Clay County, MN | 37 mi | 17% | 84% |
| Grant County, MN | 37 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Traverse County, MN | 41 mi | 21% | 94% |
| Becker County, MN | 53 mi | 4% | 44% |
| Cass County, ND | 54 mi | 44% | 88% |
| Roberts County, SD | 56 mi | 26% | 60% |
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