HomeSouth DakotaMiner County

Miner County, South Dakota

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 41% of Miner County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 28%.

57.8% 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. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1954.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

41%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

58%

in drought, October 13, 2026

77%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Miner County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)40.8%
High water table (limits basements)28.5%
Septic fields very limited88.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)5.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)41.4%
Mapped soil350,350 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Clarno25%0%
Houdek12%n/a
Tetonka10%n/a
Dudley9%n/a
Bonilla9%n/a
Crossplain7%n/a
Lake County: 30%Sanborn County: 28%Kingsbury County: 30%Hanson County: 21%McCook County: 26%Davison County: 18%Beadle County: 37%Moody County: 10%Miner County LakeSanbornKingsburyHansonMcCookDavisonBeadleMoodyMiner
Miner 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 SD097 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 41% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 41% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 57.8% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 41% of Miner County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

On 28% of Miner 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: 17.60 in, 7.84 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.44 in.

USDA rates 88% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

57.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse57.8%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

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

Rain

Average year, 1991-202025.44 in
12 months to August 202617.60 in (-7.84)
202524.75 in (-0.69)
Wettest year since 18952019: 41.31 in
Driest year since 18951976: 12.27 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FORESTBURG 4 NNE (24 mi away)5.6

Homes

Housing units1,180
Median year built1954
Built before 198077%
Built 2000 or later12%
Owner-occupied85%
Median value, owner-occupied$142,600
Single-family detached91%

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
Lake County, SD 24 mi 30% 27%
Sanborn County, SD 24 mi 28% 40%
Kingsbury County, SD 24 mi 30% 50%
Hanson County, SD 25 mi 21% 25%
McCook County, SD 26 mi 26% 33%
Davison County, SD 36 mi 18% 20%
Beadle County, SD 44 mi 37% 30%
Moody County, SD 46 mi 10% 36%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status