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Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota

A shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Yellow Medicine County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.

88.1% 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. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

9%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

87%

high water table: limits basements

88%

in drought, October 13, 2026

79%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Yellow Medicine County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)8.7%
High water table (limits basements)86.7%
Septic fields very limited92.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)8.5%
Mapped soil488,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Amiret17%n/a
Canisteo15%100%
Webster6%100%
Okoboji6%n/a
Swanlake5%n/a
Normania4%n/a
Lyon County: 87%Lac qui Parle County: 74%Chippewa County: 77%Lincoln County: 83%Redwood County: 91%Swift County: 78%Deuel County: 71%Renville County: 90%Yellow Medicine County LyonLac qui ParleChippewaLincolnRedwoodSwiftDeuelRenvilleYellow Medicine
Yellow Medicine 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 MN173 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 87% of Yellow Medicine 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: 19.95 in, 7.89 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.84 in.

USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

88.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the July 28, 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 worse88.1%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

5 flood losses since 2016, $40,831 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20181
20193
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202027.84 in
12 months to August 202619.95 in (-7.89)
202533.59 in (+5.75)
Wettest year since 18952019: 39.22 in
Driest year since 18951976: 11.52 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONTEVIDEO 1SW (16 mi away)6.3

Homes

Housing units4,488
Median year built1958
Built before 198079%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$154,700
Single-family detached90%

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
Lyon County, MN 21 mi 10% 87%
Lac qui Parle County, MN 25 mi 9% 74%
Chippewa County, MN 26 mi 2% 77%
Lincoln County, MN 29 mi 13% 83%
Redwood County, MN 37 mi 11% 91%
Swift County, MN 40 mi 6% 78%
Deuel County, SD 41 mi 13% 71%
Renville County, MN 45 mi 17% 90%

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