Wright County, Minnesota
A shallow water table limits basements on 58% of Wright County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
99.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 32% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1995.
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 Wright County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 58.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.3% |
| Mapped soil | 456,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Angus | 15% | n/a |
| Lester | 13% | n/a |
| Cordova | 9% | n/a |
| Le Sueur | 8% | n/a |
| Dorset | 5% | n/a |
| Glencoe | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MN171 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 58% of Wright 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: 23.03 in, 7.25 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.28 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
99.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 99.2% of its area, in 3 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 | 99.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 24.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $5,380 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 23.03 in (-7.25) |
| 2025 | 30.83 in (+0.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2002: 42.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 12.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROCKFORD (13 mi away) | 7.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 57,416 |
| Median year built | 1995 |
| Built before 1980 | 32% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $358,900 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherburne County, MN | 21 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Carver County, MN | 26 mi | 4% | 74% |
| Hennepin County, MN | 27 mi | 3% | 43% |
| Meeker County, MN | 28 mi | 15% | 71% |
| McLeod County, MN | 29 mi | 3% | 87% |
| Anoka County, MN | 36 mi | under 1% | 47% |
| Benton County, MN | 36 mi | 1% | 81% |
| Stearns County, MN | 41 mi | 1% | 54% |
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