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Jones County, South Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 94% of Jones County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the highest of 66 South Dakota counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%.

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. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

94%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

66%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Jones County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)94.3%
High water table (limits basements)6.9%
Septic fields very limited93.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)10.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)94.0%
Mapped soil621,824 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lakoma27%n/a
Promise12%n/a
Opal12%n/a
Kirley11%n/a
Okaton9%n/a
Bullcreek6%n/a
Mellette County: 61%Stanley County: 89%Lyman County: 89%Hughes County: 34%Haakon County: 89%Jackson County: 45%Todd County: 12%Tripp County: 61%Jones County MelletteStanleyLymanHughesHaakonJacksonToddTrippJones
Jones 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 SD075 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.4% by land area here, and 94% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 94% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.12 in, 0.22 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 19.90 in.

USDA rates 94% 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 36 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 worse11.3%
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 Jones County since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202019.90 in
12 months to August 202620.12 in (+0.22)
202521.06 in (+1.16)
Wettest year since 18952019: 28.98 in
Driest year since 18951976: 8.11 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MURDO (5 mi away)4.1

Homes

Housing units479
Median year built1973
Built before 198066%
Built 2000 or later14%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$139,600
Single-family detached61%

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
Mellette County, SD 26 mi 61% 3%
Stanley County, SD 32 mi 89% 6%
Lyman County, SD 42 mi 89% 8%
Hughes County, SD 46 mi 34% 8%
Haakon County, SD 48 mi 89% 6%
Jackson County, SD 51 mi 45% 2%
Todd County, SD 51 mi 12% 9%
Tripp County, SD 58 mi 61% 9%

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