HomeSouth DakotaBeadle County

Beadle County, South Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37% of Beadle County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 30%.

None 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. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

37%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

30%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

71%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Beadle County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)36.7%
High water table (limits basements)29.9%
Septic fields very limited84.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)38.0%
Mapped soil809,042 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Houdek20%n/a
Prosper9%n/a
Dudley9%n/a
Hand7%n/a
Beadle6%n/a
Stickney6%n/a
Sanborn County: 28%Jerauld County: 34%Spink County: 45%Hand County: 27%Kingsbury County: 30%Clark County: 19%Miner County: 41%Aurora County: 42%Beadle County SanbornJerauldSpinkHandKingsburyClarkMinerAuroraBeadle
Beadle County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas SD005 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% by land area here, and 38% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.

On 30% of Beadle 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: 19.10 in, 4.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.40 in.

USDA rates 84% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse3%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $41,009 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20191
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202023.40 in
12 months to August 202619.10 in (-4.30)
202523.66 in (+0.26)
Wettest year since 18952019: 37.20 in
Driest year since 18951976: 10.61 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HURON RGNL AP (3 mi away)5

Homes

Housing units8,474
Median year built1963
Built before 198071%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$175,100
Single-family detached72%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Sanborn County, SD 29 mi 28% 40%
Jerauld County, SD 30 mi 34% 22%
Spink County, SD 35 mi 45% 56%
Hand County, SD 37 mi 27% 16%
Kingsbury County, SD 39 mi 30% 50%
Clark County, SD 41 mi 19% 65%
Miner County, SD 44 mi 41% 28%
Aurora County, SD 50 mi 42% 19%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status