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Adams County, North Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 33% of Adams County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties and the 6th highest of 53 North Dakota counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%.

21.6% 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. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

33%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

22%

in drought, October 13, 2026

75%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Adams County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)32.9%
High water table (limits basements)6.8%
Septic fields very limited81.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)35.3%
Mapped soil633,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Vebar9%n/a
Belfield8%n/a
Daglum7%n/a
Parshall7%n/a
Amor7%n/a
Shambo6%n/a
Hettinger County: 43%Perkins County: 18%Grant County: 23%Bowman County: 32%Stark County: 37%Slope County: 23%Harding County: 13%Sioux County: 33%Adams County HettingerPerkinsGrantBowmanStarkSlopeHardingSiouxAdams
Adams County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas ND001 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 33% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 21.6% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 33% of Adams County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.01 in, 0.06 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 15.95 in.

USDA rates 81% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

21.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 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 worse21.6%
D2 severe or worse0.3%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Adams County since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202015.95 in
12 months to August 202616.01 in (+0.06)
202522.19 in (+6.24)
Wettest year since 18952013: 27.58 in
Driest year since 18951936: 5.62 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEMMON (21 mi away)3.1

Homes

Housing units1,326
Median year built1964
Built before 198075%
Built 2000 or later14%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$113,200
Single-family detached78%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Hettinger County, ND 24 mi 43% 7%
Perkins County, SD 43 mi 18% 2%
Grant County, ND 46 mi 23% 5%
Bowman County, ND 47 mi 32% 4%
Stark County, ND 50 mi 37% 4%
Slope County, ND 51 mi 23% 6%
Harding County, SD 57 mi 13% 2%
Sioux County, ND 71 mi 33% 3%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (May 4, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status