Ashland County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 76% of Ashland County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties and the 8th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 18%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Ashland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.9% |
| Mapped soil | 676,755 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Shanagolden | 8% | n/a |
| Gogebic | 8% | n/a |
| Butternut | 6% | n/a |
| Sanborg | 5% | n/a |
| Cathro | 5% | n/a |
| Lupton | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI003 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.9% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 18% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 18% of Ashland County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 76% of Ashland 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: 26.34 in, 7.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.67 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 99.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 98.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 62.9% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $465,094 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 26.34 in (-7.33) |
| 2025 | 30.50 in (-3.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 45.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAXON 1WSW (12 mi away) | 7.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,445 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $170,300 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield County, WI | 24 mi | 20% | 46% |
| Iron County, WI | 25 mi | 1% | 75% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 43 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 52 mi | 0% | 60% |
| Douglas County, WI | 58 mi | 20% | 56% |
| Price County, WI | 62 mi | 0% | 79% |
| Vilas County, WI | 66 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Ontonagon County, MI | 69 mi | 22% | 78% |
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