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Grand Forks County, North Dakota
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Grand Forks County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties and the 8th highest of 53 North Dakota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
14.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 107 flood losses here since 2016, 78% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Grand Forks County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.5% |
| Mapped soil | 921,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bearden | 20% | n/a |
| Antler | 7% | n/a |
| Glyndon | 5% | n/a |
| Barnes | 4% | 20% |
| Ojata | 4% | n/a |
| Wyndmere | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ND035 (2026-05-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 83% of Grand Forks 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: 18.41 in, 3.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.78 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
14.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 89.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 14.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
107 flood losses since 2016, $470,353 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 71. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 78% basements, 19% slabs, 4% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 3 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 71 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 21.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.41 in (-3.37) |
| 2025 | 18.77 in (-3.01) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 29.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 9.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRAND FORKS INTL AP (12 mi away) | 4.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 33,891 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 52% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $252,700 |
| Single-family detached | 44% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walsh County, ND | 34 mi | 21% | 80% |
| Nelson County, ND | 35 mi | 19% | 71% |
| Steele County, ND | 35 mi | 11% | 67% |
| Traill County, ND | 36 mi | 36% | 94% |
| Griggs County, ND | 49 mi | 12% | 65% |
| Polk County, MN | 50 mi | 10% | 85% |
| Pembina County, ND | 58 mi | 29% | 94% |
| Marshall County, MN | 59 mi | 21% | 98% |
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