HomeNorth DakotaLaMoure County

LaMoure County, North Dakota

A shallow water table limits basements on 53% of LaMoure County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.

81.6% 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. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1965.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

16%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

53%

high water table: limits basements

82%

in drought, October 13, 2026

79%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under LaMoure County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)16.3%
High water table (limits basements)52.6%
Septic fields very limited39.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)17.0%
Mapped soil738,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Barnes23%20%
Svea17%n/a
Parnell6%n/a
Hamerly5%n/a
Williams4%0%
Buse4%n/a
Dickey County: 60%Barnes County: 63%Stutsman County: 40%Ransom County: 62%Logan County: 15%Sargent County: 71%McIntosh County: 12%McPherson County: 22%LaMoure County DickeyBarnesStutsmanRansomLoganSargentMcIntoshMcPhersonLaMoure
LaMoure 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 ND045 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 81.6% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of LaMoure County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

On 53% of LaMoure 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: 14.83 in, 6.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.75 in.

Drought

81.6% 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 98.9% of its area, on the September 29, 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 worse81.6%
D2 severe or worse26.9%
D3 extreme or worse1.4%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $0 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, 1991-202021.75 in
12 months to August 202614.83 in (-6.92)
202522.75 in (+1.00)
Wettest year since 18952019: 30.58 in
Driest year since 18951936: 8.14 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONTPELIER (17 mi away)3.6

Homes

Housing units2,066
Median year built1965
Built before 198079%
Built 2000 or later12%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$117,200
Single-family detached86%

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
Dickey County, ND 25 mi 20% 60%
Barnes County, ND 39 mi 18% 63%
Stutsman County, ND 41 mi 15% 40%
Ransom County, ND 42 mi 12% 62%
Logan County, ND 47 mi 11% 15%
Sargent County, ND 49 mi 16% 71%
McIntosh County, ND 51 mi 22% 12%
McPherson County, SD 55 mi 18% 22%

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