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Grant County, North Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 23% of Grant County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%.

99.6% 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. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

23%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

5%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

77%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Grant County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)23.1%
High water table (limits basements)4.7%
Septic fields very limited84.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)24.1%
Mapped soil1,066,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Amor12%n/a
Vebar11%n/a
Cabba6%n/a
Shambo6%n/a
Regent5%n/a
Parshall5%n/a
Morton County: 32%Sioux County: 33%Hettinger County: 43%Adams County: 33%Corson County: 34%Oliver County: 13%Stark County: 37%Mercer County: 15%Grant County MortonSiouxHettingerAdamsCorsonOliverStarkMercerGrant
Grant 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 ND037 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.5% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 23% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 99.6% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 23% of Grant County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.05 in, 1.66 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.71 in.

USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

99.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 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 worse99.6%
D2 severe or worse14.7%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

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

Rain

Average year, 1991-202017.71 in
12 months to August 202616.05 in (-1.66)
202523.45 in (+5.74)
Wettest year since 18952013: 27.74 in
Driest year since 18951936: 7.13 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELGIN (10 mi away)3.3

Homes

Housing units1,635
Median year built1962
Built before 198077%
Built 2000 or later9%
Owner-occupied83%
Median value, owner-occupied$93,200
Single-family detached73%

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
Morton County, ND 29 mi 32% 5%
Sioux County, ND 32 mi 33% 3%
Hettinger County, ND 39 mi 43% 7%
Adams County, ND 46 mi 33% 7%
Corson County, SD 51 mi 34% 3%
Oliver County, ND 54 mi 13% 5%
Stark County, ND 58 mi 37% 4%
Mercer County, ND 66 mi 15% 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