HomeNorth DakotaRichland County

Richland County, North Dakota

A shallow water table limits basements on 90% of Richland County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties and the 4th highest of 53 North Dakota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

29%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

90%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

65%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Richland County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)28.8%
High water table (limits basements)90.1%
Septic fields very limited93.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)36.4%
Mapped soil925,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Fargo10%n/a
Wyndmere6%n/a
Arveson4%n/a
Forman4%n/a
Delamere3%n/a
Hecla3%n/a
Wilkin County: 95%Sargent County: 71%Ransom County: 62%Traverse County: 94%Roberts County: 60%Marshall County: 57%Cass County: 88%Clay County: 84%Richland County WilkinSargentRansomTraverseRobertsMarshallCassClayRichland
Richland 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 ND077 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Richland County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

On 90% of Richland 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: 18.70 in, 5.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.18 in.

USDA rates 94% 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 7 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 worse82.4%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

3 flood losses since 2016, $14,604 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20180
20191
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202024.18 in
12 months to August 202618.70 in (-5.48)
202525.67 in (+1.49)
Wettest year since 18952005: 32.49 in
Driest year since 18951976: 7.85 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LIDGERWOOD (17 mi away)4.9

Homes

Housing units7,530
Median year built1972
Built before 198065%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied68%
Median value, owner-occupied$183,600
Single-family detached68%

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
Wilkin County, MN 23 mi 17% 95%
Sargent County, ND 35 mi 16% 71%
Ransom County, ND 36 mi 12% 62%
Traverse County, MN 41 mi 21% 94%
Roberts County, SD 44 mi 26% 60%
Marshall County, SD 48 mi 22% 57%
Cass County, ND 48 mi 44% 88%
Clay County, MN 49 mi 17% 84%

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