Iron County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Iron County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties and the 9th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 61% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Iron County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.2% |
| Mapped soil | 514,259 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gogebic | 21% | n/a |
| Pence | 7% | n/a |
| Cathro | 6% | n/a |
| Lupton | 6% | n/a |
| Tula | 5% | n/a |
| Pleine | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI051 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Iron 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: 28.90 in, 6.01 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.91 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 73.8% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Iron County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.91 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.90 in (-6.01) |
| 2025 | 33.76 in (-1.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2013: 46.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.98 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HURLEY (10 mi away) | 6.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,566 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 89% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,900 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland County, WI | 25 mi | 18% | 76% |
| Gogebic County, MI | 25 mi | 1% | 84% |
| Vilas County, WI | 41 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Price County, WI | 45 mi | 0% | 79% |
| Bayfield County, WI | 48 mi | 20% | 46% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 53 mi | 0% | 60% |
| Oneida County, WI | 55 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Ontonagon County, MI | 58 mi | 22% | 78% |
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