HomeSouth DakotaHughes County

Hughes County, South Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Hughes County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 8%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

34%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

8%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

54%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Hughes County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)34.0%
High water table (limits basements)7.8%
Septic fields very limited79.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)7.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)39.0%
Mapped soil507,603 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Highmore24%n/a
Mobridge6%n/a
Raber5%n/a
Hoven4%n/a
Lowry4%n/a
Gettys3%n/a
Sully County: 23%Hyde County: 41%Lyman County: 89%Stanley County: 89%Buffalo County: 43%Potter County: 25%Jones County: 94%Hand County: 27%Hughes County SullyHydeLymanStanleyBuffaloPotterJonesHandHughes
Hughes 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 SD065 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.0% by land area here, and 39% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 19.29 in, 0.41 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 19.70 in.

USDA rates 80% 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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 92.3% 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 worse31.6%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Hughes County since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202019.70 in
12 months to August 202619.29 in (-0.41)
202520.46 in (+0.76)
Wettest year since 18952019: 29.13 in
Driest year since 18951976: 7.23 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PIERRE RGNL AP (15 mi away)3.6

Homes

Housing units7,997
Median year built1978
Built before 198054%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$242,000
Single-family detached64%

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
Sully County, SD 25 mi 23% 9%
Hyde County, SD 27 mi 41% 13%
Lyman County, SD 34 mi 89% 8%
Stanley County, SD 38 mi 89% 6%
Buffalo County, SD 45 mi 43% 12%
Potter County, SD 46 mi 25% 11%
Jones County, SD 46 mi 94% 7%
Hand County, SD 49 mi 27% 16%

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