HomeNorth DakotaHettinger County
Hettinger County, North Dakota
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43% of Hettinger County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 53 North Dakota counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%.
31.4% 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. 74% 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 Hettinger County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 43.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 44.4% |
| Mapped soil | 725,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wyola | 8% | n/a |
| Belfield | 8% | n/a |
| Amor | 7% | n/a |
| Regent | 7% | n/a |
| Vebar | 6% | n/a |
| Daglum | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ND041 (2026-05-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 44% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 31.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 43% of Hettinger County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.18 in, 2.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.45 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
31.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 31.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Hettinger County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 16.45 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.18 in (-2.27) |
| 2025 | 21.21 in (+4.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2013: 26.41 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 6.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEW ENGLAND (21 mi away) | 2.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,444 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $117,300 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, ND | 24 mi | 33% | 7% |
| Stark County, ND | 28 mi | 37% | 4% |
| Grant County, ND | 39 mi | 23% | 5% |
| Slope County, ND | 48 mi | 23% | 6% |
| Bowman County, ND | 55 mi | 32% | 4% |
| Morton County, ND | 58 mi | 32% | 5% |
| Billings County, ND | 58 mi | 25% | 4% |
| Dunn County, ND | 64 mi | 22% | 5% |
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