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Green Lake County, Wisconsin

A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Green Lake County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

None 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. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

48%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

65%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Green Lake County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.1%
High water table (limits basements)47.7%
Septic fields very limited79.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.1%
Mapped soil243,648 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Kidder10%n/a
Plano8%n/a
Houghton5%n/a
Granby5%n/a
Adrian4%n/a
Brems3%n/a
Marquette County: 41%Fond du Lac County: 50%Winnebago County: 48%Waushara County: 36%Dodge County: 59%Columbia County: 48%Adams County: 40%Calumet County: 42%Green Lake County MarquetteFond du LacWinnebagoWausharaDodgeColumbiaAdamsCalumetGreen Lake
Green Lake 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 WI047 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 48% of Green Lake 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: 29.75 in, 4.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.93 in.

USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 58.5% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.

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

7 flood losses since 2016, $98,089 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 6.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20186
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202033.93 in
12 months to August 202629.75 in (-4.18)
202530.09 in (-3.84)
Wettest year since 18952018: 49.24 in
Driest year since 18951958: 18.28 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RIPON 5 NE (13 mi away)6.2

Homes

Housing units10,772
Median year built1971
Built before 198065%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$215,400
Single-family detached80%

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
Marquette County, WI 22 mi 1% 41%
Fond du Lac County, WI 24 mi 13% 50%
Winnebago County, WI 26 mi 33% 48%
Waushara County, WI 27 mi 5% 36%
Dodge County, WI 28 mi 7% 59%
Columbia County, WI 28 mi 1% 48%
Adams County, WI 42 mi 2% 40%
Calumet County, WI 43 mi 44% 42%

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