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Dickey County, North Dakota
A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Dickey County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
38.4% 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 1964.
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 Dickey County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 54.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.3% |
| Mapped soil | 729,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Barnes | 14% | 20% |
| Svea | 10% | n/a |
| Hamerly | 7% | n/a |
| Cavour | 4% | n/a |
| Parnell | 4% | n/a |
| Tonka | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ND021 (2026-05-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 38.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Dickey County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 60% of Dickey 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: 15.74 in, 6.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.64 in.
USDA rates 54% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
38.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 38.8% of its area, on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 86.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 38.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 7.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Dickey County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 15.74 in (-6.90) |
| 2025 | 22.99 in (+0.35) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 30.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 8.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FULLERTON 1 ESE (6 mi away) | 5.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,394 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $162,400 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaMoure County, ND | 25 mi | 16% | 53% |
| Brown County, SD | 36 mi | 28% | 56% |
| McPherson County, SD | 39 mi | 18% | 22% |
| Sargent County, ND | 42 mi | 16% | 71% |
| McIntosh County, ND | 45 mi | 22% | 12% |
| Ransom County, ND | 47 mi | 12% | 62% |
| Marshall County, SD | 51 mi | 22% | 57% |
| Logan County, ND | 54 mi | 11% | 15% |
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