HomeNorth DakotaBurleigh County

Burleigh County, North Dakota

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 12% of Burleigh County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

12%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

11%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Burleigh County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.0%
High water table (limits basements)11.3%
Septic fields very limited44.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)13.0%
Mapped soil1,067,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Williams18%0%
Bowbells9%n/a
Zahl5%n/a
Lehr4%n/a
Lihen4%n/a
Arnegard3%n/a
Kidder County: 9%Oliver County: 13%Sheridan County: 15%Morton County: 32%Emmons County: 14%Wells County: 10%Logan County: 11%McLean County: 9%Burleigh County KidderOliverSheridanMortonEmmonsWellsLoganMcLeanBurleigh
Burleigh 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 ND015 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 17.59 in, 0.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.51 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 12% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Burleigh County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse64.5%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202018.51 in
12 months to August 202617.59 in (-0.92)
202522.68 in (+4.17)
Wettest year since 18951993: 26.66 in
Driest year since 18951936: 6.68 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BISMARCK (20 mi away)3

Homes

Housing units43,779
Median year built1988
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later36%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$324,000
Single-family detached55%

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
Kidder County, ND 33 mi 9% 19%
Oliver County, ND 42 mi 13% 5%
Sheridan County, ND 42 mi 15% 31%
Morton County, ND 44 mi 32% 5%
Emmons County, ND 49 mi 14% 7%
Wells County, ND 56 mi 10% 55%
Logan County, ND 58 mi 11% 15%
McLean County, ND 64 mi 9% 13%

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