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McKenzie County, North Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of McKenzie County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.

95.7% 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. 21% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2011.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

16%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

4%

high water table: limits basements

96%

in drought, October 13, 2026

21%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under McKenzie County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)16.0%
High water table (limits basements)3.5%
Septic fields very limited84.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)17.4%
Mapped soil1,830,800 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Cabba8%n/a
Zahl8%n/a
Williams7%0%
Cabbart4%under 1%
Arikara3%n/a
Chama3%n/a
Williams County: 8%Dunn County: 22%Billings County: 25%Richland County: 8%Mountrail County: 12%Golden Valley County: 7%Wibaux County: 22%Stark County: 37%McKenzie County WilliamsDunnBillingsRichlandMountrailGolden ValleyWibauxStarkMcKenzie
McKenzie 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 ND053 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.7% 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: 95.7% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of McKenzie County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.37 in, 2.54 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.91 in.

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

Drought

95.7% 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 8 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 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 worse95.7%
D2 severe or worse72%
D3 extreme or worse0%
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, 1991-202015.91 in
12 months to August 202613.37 in (-2.54)
202517.73 in (+1.82)
Wettest year since 18952013: 22.52 in
Driest year since 18951934: 6.23 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KEENE 3S (25 mi away)2.5

Homes

Housing units7,752
Median year built2011
Built before 198021%
Built 2000 or later66%
Owner-occupied53%
Median value, owner-occupied$349,600
Single-family detached46%

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
Williams County, ND 43 mi 8% 9%
Dunn County, ND 46 mi 22% 5%
Billings County, ND 51 mi 25% 4%
Richland County, MT 54 mi 8% 2%
Mountrail County, ND 58 mi 12% 15%
Golden Valley County, ND 59 mi 7% 3%
Wibaux County, MT 68 mi 22% 2%
Stark County, ND 73 mi 37% 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