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Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

A shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Eau Claire County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

35%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

53%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Eau Claire County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)34.8%
Septic fields very limited90.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.8%
Mapped soil413,197 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Plainfield9%2%
Elkmound8%n/a
Seaton7%n/a
Simescreek5%n/a
Hixton5%n/a
Billett3%n/a
Chippewa County: 55%Pepin County: 25%Trempealeau County: 15%Buffalo County: 16%Clark County: 96%Dunn County: 35%Jackson County: 42%Taylor County: 88%Eau Claire County ChippewaPepinTrempealeauBuffaloClarkDunnJacksonTaylorEau Claire
Eau Claire County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WI035 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 35% of Eau Claire 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: 28.43 in, 5.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.07 in.

USDA rates 90% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse52.2%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

7 flood losses since 2016, $168,073 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20163
20170
20180
20192
20200
20210
20220
20232
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202034.07 in
12 months to August 202628.43 in (-5.64)
202532.32 in (-1.75)
Wettest year since 18951938: 48.50 in
Driest year since 18951976: 17.87 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EAU CLAIRE RGNL AP (14 mi away)6.5

Homes

Housing units46,936
Median year built1978
Built before 198053%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied61%
Median value, owner-occupied$261,000
Single-family detached61%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Chippewa County, WI 24 mi under 1% 55%
Pepin County, WI 28 mi 3% 25%
Trempealeau County, WI 29 mi 1% 15%
Buffalo County, WI 33 mi 4% 16%
Clark County, WI 33 mi 2% 96%
Dunn County, WI 34 mi 1% 35%
Jackson County, WI 37 mi 0% 42%
Taylor County, WI 51 mi 0% 88%

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