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Stutsman County, North Dakota

A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of Stutsman County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.

30.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

15%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

40%

high water table: limits basements

31%

in drought, October 13, 2026

65%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Stutsman County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)14.5%
High water table (limits basements)39.9%
Septic fields very limited49.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)16.0%
Mapped soil1,470,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Barnes11%20%
Williams9%0%
Zahl8%n/a
Hamerly7%n/a
Svea6%n/a
Parnell5%n/a
Foster County: 70%Kidder County: 19%LaMoure County: 53%Barnes County: 63%Logan County: 15%Griggs County: 65%Eddy County: 63%Wells County: 55%Stutsman County FosterKidderLaMoureBarnesLoganGriggsEddyWellsStutsman
Stutsman 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 ND093 (2026-05-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 40% of Stutsman 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: 15.54 in, 4.81 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.35 in.

Drought

30.9% 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 99.3% of its area, in 3 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 worse30.9%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $6,522 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202020.35 in
12 months to August 202615.54 in (-4.81)
202520.46 in (+0.11)
Wettest year since 18951993: 28.58 in
Driest year since 18951936: 7.24 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JAMESTOWN MUNI AP (14 mi away)3.6

Homes

Housing units10,413
Median year built1973
Built before 198065%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied63%
Median value, owner-occupied$208,400
Single-family detached60%

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
Foster County, ND 35 mi 11% 70%
Kidder County, ND 38 mi 9% 19%
LaMoure County, ND 41 mi 16% 53%
Barnes County, ND 42 mi 18% 63%
Logan County, ND 43 mi 11% 15%
Griggs County, ND 48 mi 12% 65%
Eddy County, ND 52 mi 6% 63%
Wells County, ND 54 mi 10% 55%

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