HomeSouth DakotaJerauld County

Jerauld County, South Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Jerauld County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 22%.

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. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

34%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

22%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

70%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Jerauld County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)34.0%
High water table (limits basements)21.5%
Septic fields very limited92.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)35.1%
Mapped soil338,274 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Ethan14%n/a
Houdek11%n/a
Clarno8%0%
Prosper5%n/a
Betts4%n/a
Bonilla4%n/a
Aurora County: 42%Sanborn County: 28%Buffalo County: 43%Beadle County: 37%Brule County: 43%Davison County: 18%Hand County: 27%Douglas County: 33%Jerauld County AuroraSanbornBuffaloBeadleBruleDavisonHandDouglasJerauld
Jerauld 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 SD073 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 35% 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.

On 22% of Jerauld 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: 19.78 in, 4.16 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.94 in.

USDA rates 92% 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 16 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
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 Jerauld County since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202023.94 in
12 months to August 202619.78 in (-4.16)
202522.54 in (-1.40)
Wettest year since 18952019: 37.57 in
Driest year since 18951976: 11.15 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WESSINGTON SPRINGS (3 mi away)5.6

Homes

Housing units963
Median year built1958
Built before 198070%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$150,800
Single-family detached86%

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
Aurora County, SD 23 mi 42% 19%
Sanborn County, SD 27 mi 28% 40%
Buffalo County, SD 29 mi 43% 12%
Beadle County, SD 30 mi 37% 30%
Brule County, SD 33 mi 43% 12%
Davison County, SD 35 mi 18% 20%
Hand County, SD 38 mi 27% 16%
Douglas County, SD 48 mi 33% 21%

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