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South Dakota soil by county

Across South Dakota's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 38% and a shallow water table limits basements on 18%.

Highest clay shares: Jones County (94%), Lyman County (89%), Stanley County (89%), Haakon County (89%), Butte County (72%). Highest water-table shares: Deuel County (71%), Brookings County (67%), Hamlin County (67%), Codington County (65%), Clark County (65%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 66 counties

Aurora County: 42%Beadle County: 37%Bennett County: 10%Bon Homme County: 27%Brookings County: 10%Brown County: 28%Brule County: 43%Buffalo County: 43%Butte County: 72%Campbell County: 18%Charles Mix County: 29%Clark County: 19%Clay County: 29%Codington County: 11%Corson County: 34%Custer County: 17%Davison County: 18%Day County: 19%Deuel County: 13%Dewey County: 70%Douglas County: 33%Edmunds County: 22%Fall River County: 55%Faulk County: 20%Grant County: 26%Gregory County: 68%Haakon County: 89%Hamlin County: 13%Hand County: 27%Hanson County: 21%Harding County: 13%Hughes County: 34%Hutchinson County: 21%Hyde County: 41%Jackson County: 45%Jerauld County: 34%Jones County: 94%Kingsbury County: 30%Lake County: 30%Lawrence County: 22%Lincoln County: 28%Lyman County: 89%Marshall County: 22%McCook County: 26%McPherson County: 18%Meade County: 49%Mellette County: 61%Miner County: 41%Minnehaha County: 17%Moody County: 10%Oglala Lakota County: 23%Pennington County: 52%Perkins County: 18%Potter County: 25%Roberts County: 26%Sanborn County: 28%Spink County: 45%Stanley County: 89%Sully County: 23%Todd County: 12%Tripp County: 61%Turner County: 20%Union County: 33%Walworth County: 26%Yankton County: 21%Ziebach County: 59%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Aurora County: 19%Beadle County: 30%Bennett County: 8%Bon Homme County: 26%Brookings County: 67%Brown County: 56%Brule County: 12%Buffalo County: 12%Butte County: 6%Campbell County: 13%Charles Mix County: 13%Clark County: 65%Clay County: 53%Codington County: 65%Corson County: 3%Custer County: 1%Davison County: 20%Day County: 63%Deuel County: 71%Dewey County: 4%Douglas County: 21%Edmunds County: 25%Fall River County: 1%Faulk County: 23%Grant County: 56%Gregory County: 7%Haakon County: 6%Hamlin County: 67%Hand County: 16%Hanson County: 25%Harding County: 2%Hughes County: 8%Hutchinson County: 25%Hyde County: 13%Jackson County: 2%Jerauld County: 22%Jones County: 7%Kingsbury County: 50%Lake County: 27%Lawrence County: 1%Lincoln County: 51%Lyman County: 8%Marshall County: 57%McCook County: 33%McPherson County: 22%Meade County: 1%Mellette County: 3%Miner County: 28%Minnehaha County: 32%Moody County: 36%Oglala Lakota County: 1%Pennington County: 1%Perkins County: 2%Potter County: 11%Roberts County: 60%Sanborn County: 40%Spink County: 56%Stanley County: 6%Sully County: 9%Todd County: 9%Tripp County: 9%Turner County: 39%Union County: 42%Walworth County: 10%Yankton County: 30%Ziebach County: 2%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in South Dakota

Select a column heading to sort.
Aurora County 42% 19% 6% 2 1962
Beadle County 37% 30% 0% 2 1963
Bennett County 10% 8% 65% 0 1973
Bon Homme County 27% 26% 19% 2 1958
Brookings County 10% 67% 92% 17 1983
Brown County 28% 56% 0% 4 1973
Brule County 43% 12% 11% 5 1971
Buffalo County 43% 12% 0% 0 1976
Butte County 72% 6% 100% 0 1982
Campbell County 18% 13% 33% 1 1960
Charles Mix County 29% 13% 50% 6 1971
Clark County 19% 65% 2% 1 1957
Clay County 29% 53% 87% 1 1976
Codington County 11% 65% 85% 38 1978
Corson County 34% 3% 100% 0 1974
Custer County 17% 1% 100% 9 1994
Davison County 18% 20% 34% 17 1972
Day County 19% 63% 19% 5 1967
Deuel County 13% 71% 23% 0 1971
Dewey County 70% 4% 100% 0 1978
Douglas County 33% 21% 92% 0 1960
Edmunds County 22% 25% 21% 1 1967
Fall River County 55% 1% 100% 0 1972
Faulk County 20% 23% 88% 0 1964
Grant County 26% 56% 49% 2 1972
Gregory County 68% 7% 80% 1 1963
Haakon County 89% 6% 99% 0 1974
Hamlin County 13% 67% 0% 69 1969
Hand County 27% 16% 47% 3 1966
Hanson County 21% 25% 98% 7 1956
Harding County 13% 2% 100% 0 1973
Hughes County 34% 8% 0% 0 1978
Hutchinson County 21% 25% 80% 5 1962
Hyde County 41% 13% 48% 0 1960
Jackson County 45% 2% 98% 0 1979
Jerauld County 34% 22% 0% 0 1958
Jones County 94% 7% 1% 0 1973
Kingsbury County 30% 50% 11% 2 1967
Lake County 30% 27% 100% 146 1975
Lawrence County 22% 1% 100% 2 1987
Lincoln County 28% 51% 12% 13 2005
Lyman County 89% 8% 5% 13 1976
Marshall County 22% 57% 44% 0 1970
McCook County 26% 33% 100% 18 1970
McPherson County 18% 22% 32% 0 1962
Meade County 49% 1% 100% 2 1990
Mellette County 61% 3% 16% 0 1969
Miner County 41% 28% 60% 0 1954
Minnehaha County 17% 32% 99% 124 1987
Moody County 10% 36% 100% 13 1972
Oglala Lakota County 23% 1% 100% 0 1987
Pennington County 52% 1% 100% 22 1982
Perkins County 18% 2% 82% 0 1966
Potter County 25% 11% 100% 0 1974
Roberts County 26% 60% 97% 9 1974
Sanborn County 28% 40% 2% 0 1958
Spink County 45% 56% 9% 5 1959
Stanley County 89% 6% 41% 0 1993
Sully County 23% 9% 91% 0 1979
Todd County 12% 9% 0% 2 1981
Tripp County 61% 9% 49% 0 1969
Turner County 20% 39% 100% 14 1962
Union County 33% 42% 36% 24 1993
Walworth County 26% 10% 70% 0 1969
Yankton County 21% 30% 100% 16 1977
Ziebach County 59% 2% 100% 0 1987

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.