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Mountrail County, North Dakota

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 12% of Mountrail County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 15%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 9.2% 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. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

12%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

15%

high water table: limits basements

9%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Mountrail County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)11.8%
High water table (limits basements)14.9%
Septic fields very limited36.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)13.3%
Mapped soil1,242,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Williams23%0%
Zahl18%n/a
Bowbells9%n/a
Zahill5%n/a
Parnell4%n/a
Wabek3%n/a
Ward County: 12%Burke County: 30%Renville County: 6%Williams County: 8%McKenzie County: 16%McLean County: 9%Dunn County: 22%Divide County: 21%Mountrail County WardBurkeRenvilleWilliamsMcKenzieMcLeanDunnDivideMountrail
Mountrail 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 ND061 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.48 in, 2.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.01 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 12% and a shallow water table on 15% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Mountrail County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

9.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse68.2%
D1 moderate drought or worse9.2%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

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

Rain

Average year, 1991-202017.01 in
12 months to August 202614.48 in (-2.53)
202517.83 in (+0.82)
Wettest year since 18951975: 25.12 in
Driest year since 18951934: 5.97 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STANLEY 3 NNW (10 mi away)2.2

Homes

Housing units5,099
Median year built1997
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later47%
Owner-occupied62%
Median value, owner-occupied$232,700
Single-family detached56%

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
Ward County, ND 38 mi 12% 44%
Burke County, ND 40 mi 30% 32%
Renville County, ND 47 mi 6% 86%
Williams County, ND 53 mi 8% 9%
McKenzie County, ND 58 mi 16% 4%
McLean County, ND 58 mi 9% 13%
Dunn County, ND 60 mi 22% 5%
Divide County, ND 67 mi 21% 23%

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