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McLean County, North Dakota

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 9% of McLean County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 13%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 83.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 96.2% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

9%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

13%

high water table: limits basements

84%

in drought, October 13, 2026

62%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under McLean County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)9.3%
High water table (limits basements)13.3%
Septic fields very limited33.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.6%
Mapped soil1,489,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Williams25%0%
Bowbells13%n/a
Zahl8%n/a
Parnell4%n/a
Zahill3%n/a
Ruso3%n/a
Mercer County: 15%Oliver County: 13%Ward County: 12%Sheridan County: 15%McHenry County: 9%Mountrail County: 12%Dunn County: 22%Burleigh County: 12%McLean County MercerOliverWardSheridanMcHenryMountrailDunnBurleighMcLean
McLean 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 ND055 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.91 in, 1.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.74 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 9% and a shallow water table on 13% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of McLean County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

83.5% 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 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 worse83.5%
D2 severe or worse30.1%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

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

Rain

Average year, 1991-202017.74 in
12 months to August 202615.91 in (-1.83)
202519.27 in (+1.53)
Wettest year since 18952013: 24.79 in
Driest year since 18951936: 7.37 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GARRISON (0 mi away)3

Homes

Housing units5,807
Median year built1975
Built before 198062%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$227,100
Single-family detached84%

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
Mercer County, ND 31 mi 15% 4%
Oliver County, ND 37 mi 13% 5%
Ward County, ND 39 mi 12% 44%
Sheridan County, ND 51 mi 15% 31%
McHenry County, ND 54 mi 9% 73%
Mountrail County, ND 58 mi 12% 15%
Dunn County, ND 59 mi 22% 5%
Burleigh County, ND 64 mi 12% 11%

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