HomeNorth DakotaRansom County

Ransom County, North Dakota

A shallow water table limits basements on 62% of Ransom County's mapped land, a higher share than 75% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 12%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

12%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

62%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

64%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Ransom County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)11.6%
High water table (limits basements)61.9%
Septic fields very limited71.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)11.6%
Mapped soil552,800 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Barnes12%20%
Svea7%n/a
Hamerly6%n/a
Buse6%n/a
Parnell4%n/a
Renshaw4%n/a
Sargent County: 71%Richland County: 90%Cass County: 88%Barnes County: 63%LaMoure County: 53%Dickey County: 60%Marshall County: 57%Wilkin County: 95%Ransom County SargentRichlandCassBarnesLaMoureDickeyMarshallWilkinRansom
Ransom 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 ND073 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 62% of Ransom 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: 15.33 in, 7.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.77 in.

USDA rates 72% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% 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 9 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse92%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $10,364 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20190
20200
20210
20223
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202022.77 in
12 months to August 202615.33 in (-7.44)
202525.12 in (+2.35)
Wettest year since 18951962: 31.90 in
Driest year since 18951976: 8.82 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MC LEOD 3 E (20 mi away)5.2

Homes

Housing units2,546
Median year built1969
Built before 198064%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$193,000
Single-family detached76%

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
Sargent County, ND 24 mi 16% 71%
Richland County, ND 36 mi 29% 90%
Cass County, ND 38 mi 44% 88%
Barnes County, ND 40 mi 18% 63%
LaMoure County, ND 42 mi 16% 53%
Dickey County, ND 47 mi 20% 60%
Marshall County, SD 49 mi 22% 57%
Wilkin County, MN 56 mi 17% 95%

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