Buffalo County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 16% of Buffalo County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
29.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Buffalo County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.6% |
| Mapped soil | 454,188 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Seaton | 13% | n/a |
| Dorerton | 10% | n/a |
| Norden | 7% | n/a |
| Urne | 6% | n/a |
| Churchtown | 6% | n/a |
| Elbaville | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI011 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 16% of Buffalo 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: 29.82 in, 5.67 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.49 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
29.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 99.2% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 43% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 29.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 9.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $59,876 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.49 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.82 in (-5.67) |
| 2025 | 33.52 in (-1.97) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 48.80 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 15.48 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALMA DAM 4 (9 mi away) | 9.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,522 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $213,300 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepin County, WI | 17 mi | 3% | 25% |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 21 mi | 1% | 15% |
| Wabasha County, MN | 24 mi | 6% | 36% |
| Winona County, MN | 28 mi | 6% | 15% |
| Eau Claire County, WI | 33 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Dunn County, WI | 39 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Pierce County, WI | 40 mi | 8% | 39% |
| Olmsted County, MN | 42 mi | 6% | 34% |
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