Forest County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Forest County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Forest County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 669,863 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Padus | 17% | n/a |
| Stambaugh | 9% | n/a |
| Pence | 9% | n/a |
| Wabeno | 8% | n/a |
| Lupton | 8% | n/a |
| Cathro | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI041 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Forest 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: 30.38 in, 2.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.56 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 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 | 98.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 78% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.38 in (-2.18) |
| 2025 | 31.42 in (-1.14) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 42.22 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAONA 6 SW (11 mi away) | 4.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,715 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $185,000 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence County, WI | 23 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Langlade County, WI | 32 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Iron County, MI | 37 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Oneida County, WI | 37 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Marinette County, WI | 44 mi | under 1% | 42% |
| Vilas County, WI | 44 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Menominee County, WI | 47 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 50 mi | 0% | 36% |
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