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Walsh County, North Dakota
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Walsh County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 10th highest of 53 North Dakota counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Walsh County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.8% |
| Mapped soil | 827,996 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bearden | 10% | n/a |
| Glyndon | 8% | n/a |
| Barnes | 7% | 20% |
| Svea | 6% | n/a |
| Fargo | 5% | n/a |
| Hegne | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ND099 (2026-05-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
On 80% of Walsh 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: 19.73 in, 1.59 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.32 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $74,427 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 21.32 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 19.73 in (-1.59) |
| 2025 | 18.59 in (-2.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2016: 29.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1952: 10.25 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PETERSBURG 2 N (27 mi away) | 4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,184 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $132,700 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pembina County, ND | 28 mi | 29% | 94% |
| Grand Forks County, ND | 34 mi | 9% | 83% |
| Nelson County, ND | 39 mi | 19% | 71% |
| Cavalier County, ND | 43 mi | 26% | 79% |
| Ramsey County, ND | 47 mi | 24% | 85% |
| Kittson County, MN | 51 mi | 35% | 98% |
| Marshall County, MN | 63 mi | 21% | 98% |
| Steele County, ND | 64 mi | 11% | 67% |
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