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Crawford County, Wisconsin

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Crawford County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 9%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 58 flood losses here since 2016, 29% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

9%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

54%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Crawford County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.4%
High water table (limits basements)9.2%
Septic fields very limited85.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)24.6%
Mapped soil382,784 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Seaton18%n/a
Dorerton13%n/a
Valton12%n/a
Elbaville10%n/a
Pepin6%n/a
Churchtown4%n/a
Allamakee County: 18%Vernon County: 8%Richland County: 7%Grant County: 23%Clayton County: 1%Houston County: 5%Iowa County: 37%Winneshiek County: 6%Crawford County AllamakeeVernonRichlandGrantClaytonHoustonIowaWinneshiekCrawford
Crawford County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WI023 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 35.86 in, 1.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.73 in.

USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 9% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Crawford County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

58 flood losses since 2016, $1.7 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 36. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 29% basements, 13% slabs, 23% crawl spaces, 35% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 36.5 in.

YearFlood losses
20167
20173
201836
20195
20201
20210
20220
20235
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202037.73 in
12 months to August 202635.86 in (-1.87)
202531.53 in (-6.20)
Wettest year since 18952019: 52.82 in
Driest year since 18951958: 19.80 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GAYS MILLS (7 mi away)8.9

Homes

Housing units8,765
Median year built1978
Built before 198054%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$183,400
Single-family detached76%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Allamakee County, IA 23 mi 18% 11%
Vernon County, WI 25 mi 8% 8%
Richland County, WI 27 mi 7% 15%
Grant County, WI 28 mi 23% 11%
Clayton County, IA 34 mi 1% 14%
Houston County, MN 41 mi 5% 16%
Iowa County, WI 44 mi 37% 12%
Winneshiek County, IA 46 mi 6% 22%

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