Door County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Door County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Door County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.5% |
| Mapped soil | 327,712 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Summerville | 13% | n/a |
| Longrie | 12% | n/a |
| Omena | 8% | n/a |
| Onaway | 8% | n/a |
| Namur | 7% | n/a |
| Solona | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI029 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 35% of Door 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: 28.99 in, 2.85 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 31.84 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 29 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
33 flood losses since 2016, $425,777 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 19.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.84 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.99 in (-2.85) |
| 2025 | 28.04 in (-3.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 46.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 19.05 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WASHINGTON IS (20 mi away) | 4.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,436 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $342,600 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menominee County, MI | 38 mi | under 1% | 60% |
| Kewaunee County, WI | 39 mi | 19% | 40% |
| Leelanau County, MI | 49 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Marinette County, WI | 49 mi | under 1% | 42% |
| Delta County, MI | 50 mi | under 1% | 60% |
| Benzie County, MI | 51 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Oconto County, WI | 57 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Brown County, WI | 63 mi | 47% | 32% |
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