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Bowman County, North Dakota
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 32% of Bowman County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties and the 7th highest of 53 North Dakota counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
100% 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. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Bowman County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 32.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 32.9% |
| Mapped soil | 747,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rhoades | 9% | n/a |
| Amor | 6% | n/a |
| Daglum | 5% | n/a |
| Reeder | 5% | n/a |
| Cabba | 4% | n/a |
| Vebar | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ND011 (2026-05-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 33% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 32% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 32% of Bowman County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.96 in, 1.08 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.04 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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 | 98.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 47.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Bowman County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 16.04 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.96 in (-1.08) |
| 2025 | 19.64 in (+3.60) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2013: 27.44 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 6.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BOWMAN (9 mi away) | 2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,635 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $164,900 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slope County, ND | 23 mi | 23% | 6% |
| Harding County, SD | 36 mi | 13% | 2% |
| Fallon County, MT | 46 mi | 21% | 1% |
| Adams County, ND | 47 mi | 33% | 7% |
| Hettinger County, ND | 55 mi | 43% | 7% |
| Golden Valley County, ND | 59 mi | 7% | 3% |
| Billings County, ND | 62 mi | 25% | 4% |
| Stark County, ND | 63 mi | 37% | 4% |
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