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Golden Valley County, North Dakota

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 7% of Golden Valley County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 3%, 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

3%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

76%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Golden Valley County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.5%
High water table (limits basements)2.8%
Septic fields very limited71.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.5%
Mapped soil641,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lonna9%n/a
Cabbart9%under 1%
Patent8%n/a
Golva8%n/a
Chama7%n/a
Cabba6%n/a
Wibaux County: 22%Billings County: 25%Slope County: 23%Fallon County: 21%Dawson County: 8%Stark County: 37%McKenzie County: 16%Bowman County: 32%Golden Valley County WibauxBillingsSlopeFallonDawsonStarkMcKenzieBowmanGolden Valley
Golden Valley 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 ND033 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.94 in, 1.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.03 in.

USDA rates 72% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 7% and a shallow water table on 3% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Golden Valley 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 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 worse100%
D3 extreme or worse92.5%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

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

Rain

Average year, 1991-202016.03 in
12 months to August 202614.94 in (-1.09)
202519.48 in (+3.45)
Wettest year since 18952019: 23.38 in
Driest year since 18951934: 6.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MEDORA (15 mi away)2.5

Homes

Housing units902
Median year built1957
Built before 198076%
Built 2000 or later11%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$123,900
Single-family detached88%

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
Wibaux County, MT 20 mi 22% 2%
Billings County, ND 23 mi 25% 4%
Slope County, ND 39 mi 23% 6%
Fallon County, MT 51 mi 21% 1%
Dawson County, MT 54 mi 8% 1%
Stark County, ND 56 mi 37% 4%
McKenzie County, ND 59 mi 16% 4%
Bowman County, ND 59 mi 32% 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