Bayfield County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 46% of Bayfield County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Bayfield County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 46.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.6% |
| Mapped soil | 999,872 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Vilas | 9% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 8% | n/a |
| Gogebic | 6% | n/a |
| Sultz | 5% | n/a |
| Portwing | 4% | n/a |
| Keweenaw | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI007 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.1% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Bayfield County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 46% of Bayfield 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: 24.64 in, 7.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 31.84 in.
USDA rates 80% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 51.4% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $124,535 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.84 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 24.64 in (-7.20) |
| 2025 | 25.99 in (-5.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 43.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 17.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MADELINE ISLAND (22 mi away) | 6.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,356 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $240,800 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland County, WI | 24 mi | 18% | 76% |
| Douglas County, WI | 36 mi | 20% | 56% |
| Iron County, WI | 48 mi | 1% | 75% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 53 mi | 0% | 60% |
| Washburn County, WI | 59 mi | under 1% | 37% |
| Lake County, MN | 62 mi | 5% | 57% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 67 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Carlton County, MN | 71 mi | 6% | 53% |
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