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Wisconsin soil by county

Across Wisconsin's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7% and a shallow water table limits basements on 46%.

Highest clay shares: Brown County (47%), Calumet County (44%), Ozaukee County (41%), Manitowoc County (38%), Iowa County (37%). Highest water-table shares: Clark County (96%), Taylor County (88%), Rusk County (84%), Wood County (80%), Price County (79%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 72 counties

Adams County: 2%Ashland County: 18%Barron County: 0%Bayfield County: 20%Brown County: 47%Buffalo County: 4%Burnett County: 3%Calumet County: 44%Chippewa County: 0%Clark County: 2%Columbia County: 1%Crawford County: 5%Dane County: 7%Dodge County: 7%Door County: 9%Douglas County: 20%Dunn County: 1%Eau Claire County: 0%Florence County: 0%Fond du Lac County: 13%Forest County: 0%Grant County: 23%Green County: 30%Green Lake County: 2%Iowa County: 37%Iron County: 1%Jackson County: 0%Jefferson County: 4%Juneau County: 2%Kenosha County: 15%Kewaunee County: 19%La Crosse County: 1%Lafayette County: 29%Langlade County: 0%Lincoln County: 0%Manitowoc County: 38%Marathon County: 0%Marinette County: 0%Marquette County: 1%Menominee County: 0%Milwaukee County: 8%Monroe County: 5%Oconto County: 0%Oneida County: 0%Outagamie County: 20%Ozaukee County: 41%Pepin County: 3%Pierce County: 8%Polk County: 0%Portage County: 2%Price County: 0%Racine County: 15%Richland County: 7%Rock County: 5%Rusk County: 0%Sauk County: 1%Sawyer County: 0%Shawano County: 0%Sheboygan County: 33%St. Croix County: 0%Taylor County: 0%Trempealeau County: 1%Vernon County: 8%Vilas County: 0%Walworth County: 0%Washburn County: 0%Washington County: 1%Waukesha County: 3%Waupaca County: 1%Waushara County: 5%Winnebago County: 33%Wood County: 4%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Adams County: 40%Ashland County: 76%Barron County: 48%Bayfield County: 46%Brown County: 32%Buffalo County: 16%Burnett County: 41%Calumet County: 42%Chippewa County: 55%Clark County: 96%Columbia County: 48%Crawford County: 9%Dane County: 34%Dodge County: 59%Door County: 35%Douglas County: 56%Dunn County: 35%Eau Claire County: 35%Florence County: 41%Fond du Lac County: 50%Forest County: 54%Grant County: 11%Green County: 19%Green Lake County: 48%Iowa County: 12%Iron County: 75%Jackson County: 42%Jefferson County: 57%Juneau County: 62%Kenosha County: 76%Kewaunee County: 40%La Crosse County: 19%Lafayette County: 14%Langlade County: 41%Lincoln County: 74%Manitowoc County: 47%Marathon County: 67%Marinette County: 42%Marquette County: 41%Menominee County: 33%Milwaukee County: 57%Monroe County: 28%Oconto County: 51%Oneida County: 47%Outagamie County: 54%Ozaukee County: 43%Pepin County: 25%Pierce County: 39%Polk County: 33%Portage County: 46%Price County: 79%Racine County: 76%Richland County: 15%Rock County: 31%Rusk County: 84%Sauk County: 26%Sawyer County: 60%Shawano County: 50%Sheboygan County: 37%St. Croix County: 33%Taylor County: 88%Trempealeau County: 15%Vernon County: 8%Vilas County: 36%Walworth County: 33%Washburn County: 37%Washington County: 44%Waukesha County: 42%Waupaca County: 46%Waushara County: 36%Winnebago County: 48%Wood County: 80%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in Wisconsin

Select a column heading to sort.
Adams County 2% 40% 0% 20 1984
Ashland County 18% 76% 100% 5 1972
Barron County 0% 48% 100% 1 1977
Bayfield County 20% 46% 100% 13 1982
Brown County 47% 32% 5% 131 1981
Buffalo County 4% 16% 30% 4 1969
Burnett County 3% 41% 100% 11 1983
Calumet County 44% 42% 0% 3 1987
Chippewa County under 1% 55% 100% 12 1978
Clark County 2% 96% 100% 5 1972
Columbia County 1% 48% 0% 57 1976
Crawford County 5% 9% 0% 58 1978
Dane County 7% 34% 0% 121 1986
Dodge County 7% 59% 0% 7 1970
Door County 9% 35% 74% 33 1983
Douglas County 20% 56% 100% 10 1969
Dunn County 1% 35% 100% 1 1983
Eau Claire County 0% 35% 100% 7 1978
Florence County 0% 41% 100% 0 1979
Fond du Lac County 13% 50% 0% 129 1971
Forest County 0% 54% 100% 1 1980
Grant County 23% 11% 0% 21 1973
Green County 30% 19% 0% 13 1972
Green Lake County 2% 48% 0% 7 1971
Iowa County 37% 12% 0% 2 1975
Iron County 1% 75% 100% 0 1972
Jackson County 0% 42% 63% 4 1979
Jefferson County 4% 57% 0% 15 1973
Juneau County 2% 62% 0% 68 1981
Kenosha County 15% 76% 0% 96 1975
Kewaunee County 19% 40% 16% 8 1970
La Crosse County 1% 19% 0% 48 1978
Lafayette County 29% 14% 0% 4 1966
Langlade County 0% 41% 90% 2 1972
Lincoln County 0% 74% 100% 1 1975
Manitowoc County 38% 47% 0% 9 1964
Marathon County under 1% 67% 82% 8 1978
Marinette County under 1% 42% 100% 9 1975
Marquette County 1% 41% 0% 9 1977
Menominee County 0% 33% 1% 0 1985
Milwaukee County 8% 57% 0% 316 1957
Monroe County 5% 28% 0% 47 1980
Oconto County 0% 51% 77% 54 1981
Oneida County 0% 47% 100% 3 1980
Outagamie County 20% 54% 0% 47 1980
Ozaukee County 41% 43% 0% 66 1978
Pepin County 3% 25% 100% 6 1970
Pierce County 8% 39% 100% 18 1980
Polk County under 1% 33% 100% 8 1981
Portage County 2% 46% 0% 4 1979
Price County 0% 79% 100% 1 1976
Racine County 15% 76% 0% 41 1968
Richland County 7% 15% 0% 23 1971
Rock County 5% 31% 0% 36 1970
Rusk County 0% 84% 100% 0 1977
Sauk County 1% 26% 0% 87 1983
Sawyer County 0% 60% 100% 5 1985
Shawano County under 1% 50% 1% 9 1975
Sheboygan County 33% 37% 0% 8 1970
St. Croix County under 1% 33% 100% 30 1993
Taylor County 0% 88% 100% 0 1978
Trempealeau County 1% 15% 9% 45 1977
Vernon County 8% 8% 0% 66 1974
Vilas County 0% 36% 100% 0 1981
Walworth County under 1% 33% 0% 26 1977
Washburn County under 1% 37% 100% 6 1982
Washington County 1% 44% 0% 18 1986
Waukesha County 3% 42% 0% 122 1981
Waupaca County 1% 46% 0% 79 1975
Waushara County 5% 36% 0% 13 1977
Winnebago County 33% 48% 0% 42 1975
Wood County 4% 80% 40% 11 1972

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.