Calumet County, Wisconsin
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 44% of Calumet County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 42%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Calumet County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 43.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.3% |
| Mapped soil | 254,020 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Kewaunee | 20% | n/a |
| Manawa | 17% | n/a |
| Poygan | 6% | n/a |
| Houghton | 4% | n/a |
| Lamartine | 3% | n/a |
| Pella | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI015 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 28% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 44% of the mapped land.
On 42% of Calumet 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: 29.98 in, 3.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.16 in.
USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $30,282 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.98 in (-3.18) |
| 2025 | 28.82 in (-4.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 45.35 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 19.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHILTON (5 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 22,493 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $274,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago County, WI | 23 mi | 33% | 48% |
| Fond du Lac County, WI | 26 mi | 13% | 50% |
| Outagamie County, WI | 27 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Brown County, WI | 29 mi | 47% | 32% |
| Manitowoc County, WI | 32 mi | 38% | 47% |
| Sheboygan County, WI | 33 mi | 33% | 37% |
| Green Lake County, WI | 43 mi | 2% | 48% |
| Ozaukee County, WI | 44 mi | 41% | 43% |
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