Sheridan County, Montana
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 6% of Sheridan County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.
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 Sheridan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,092,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Williams | 27% | 0% |
| Zahill | 23% | n/a |
| Vida | 10% | n/a |
| Lambert | 5% | n/a |
| Dooley | 4% | n/a |
| Farnuf | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MT091 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.51 in, 3.26 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.77 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Sheridan County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.3% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 8.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Sheridan County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 14.77 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.51 in (-3.26) |
| 2025 | 14.99 in (+0.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 23.08 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 5.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLENTYWOOD (5 mi away) | 1.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,041 |
| Median year built | 1963 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $124,000 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt County, MT | 36 mi | 10% | 2% |
| Daniels County, MT | 46 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Divide County, ND | 47 mi | 21% | 23% |
| Williams County, ND | 53 mi | 8% | 9% |
| Richland County, MT | 64 mi | 8% | 2% |
| McKenzie County, ND | 85 mi | 16% | 4% |
| Burke County, ND | 92 mi | 30% | 32% |
| McCone County, MT | 93 mi | 12% | under 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status