Dakota County, Nebraska
A shallow water table limits basements on 22% of Dakota County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.
41.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Dakota County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 62.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.7% |
| Mapped soil | 171,008 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Crofton | 18% | n/a |
| Nora | 13% | n/a |
| Alcester | 11% | n/a |
| Moody | 7% | 0% |
| Blyburg | 6% | n/a |
| Albaton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NE043 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 22% of Dakota 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: 20.40 in, 8.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 29.11 in.
USDA rates 63% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
41.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 93.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 41.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $367,601 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 29.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.40 in (-8.71) |
| 2025 | 28.35 in (-0.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1984: 38.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1939: 14.75 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SIOUX CITY GATEWAY AP (10 mi away) | 7.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,808 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $185,700 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon County, NE | 16 mi | 2% | 9% |
| Thurston County, NE | 16 mi | 4% | 14% |
| Woodbury County, IA | 26 mi | 16% | 25% |
| Plymouth County, IA | 30 mi | 8% | 27% |
| Union County, SD | 31 mi | 33% | 42% |
| Wayne County, NE | 31 mi | 6% | 11% |
| Cuming County, NE | 35 mi | 13% | 19% |
| Cedar County, NE | 38 mi | 2% | 7% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status