Clark County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Clark County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
99.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 82.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 63% 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 Clark County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.7% |
| Mapped soil | 780,224 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Loyal | 22% | n/a |
| Withee | 13% | n/a |
| Flambeau | 5% | n/a |
| Merrillan | 5% | n/a |
| Humbird | 5% | n/a |
| Marshfield | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI019 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 96% of Clark 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: 32.59 in, 0.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.58 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
99.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 99.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 39.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $235,936 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 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 | 33.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.59 in (-0.99) |
| 2025 | 30.99 in (-2.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 47.14 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 19.95 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEILLSVILLE 3ESE (14 mi away) | 7.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,961 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,800 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, WI | 30 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Taylor County, WI | 33 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Eau Claire County, WI | 33 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Wood County, WI | 34 mi | 4% | 80% |
| Chippewa County, WI | 40 mi | under 1% | 55% |
| Marathon County, WI | 43 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 48 mi | 1% | 15% |
| Monroe County, WI | 55 mi | 5% | 28% |
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