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Foster County, North Dakota

A shallow water table limits basements on 70% of Foster County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11%.

5.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

11%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

70%

high water table: limits basements

6%

in drought, October 13, 2026

67%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Foster County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.7%
High water table (limits basements)69.5%
Septic fields very limited60.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.7%
Mapped soil413,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Heimdal10%n/a
Fram10%n/a
Hamerly8%n/a
Emrick7%n/a
Wyard6%n/a
Barnes6%20%
Eddy County: 63%Griggs County: 65%Stutsman County: 40%Wells County: 55%Nelson County: 71%Benson County: 69%Kidder County: 19%Barnes County: 63%Foster County EddyGriggsStutsmanWellsNelsonBensonKidderBarnesFoster
Foster County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas ND031 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 70% of Foster 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: 15.36 in, 4.23 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 19.59 in.

USDA rates 61% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

5.6% 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 6 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 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 worse5.6%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $12,346 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202019.59 in
12 months to August 202615.36 in (-4.23)
202518.66 in (-0.93)
Wettest year since 18951993: 27.13 in
Driest year since 18951936: 7.88 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MC HENRY 3W (13 mi away)4

Homes

Housing units1,775
Median year built1973
Built before 198067%
Built 2000 or later20%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$167,500
Single-family detached79%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Eddy County, ND 17 mi 6% 63%
Griggs County, ND 30 mi 12% 65%
Stutsman County, ND 35 mi 15% 40%
Wells County, ND 39 mi 10% 55%
Nelson County, ND 44 mi 19% 71%
Benson County, ND 47 mi 12% 69%
Kidder County, ND 52 mi 9% 19%
Barnes County, ND 53 mi 18% 63%

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