Jackson County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Jackson County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
23.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 3.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Jackson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 639,879 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tarr | 12% | n/a |
| Seaton | 7% | n/a |
| Boone | 6% | n/a |
| Ironrun | 5% | n/a |
| Elevasil | 5% | n/a |
| Dawsil | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI053 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Jackson 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: 33.90 in, 1.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.03 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
23.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 8, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 87.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 23.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $72,324 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.03 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.90 in (-1.13) |
| 2025 | 34.85 in (-0.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 48.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 19.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BLACK RVR FALLS SEWAGE (4 mi away) | 9.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,750 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $196,100 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trempealeau County, WI | 28 mi | 1% | 15% |
| Monroe County, WI | 28 mi | 5% | 28% |
| Clark County, WI | 30 mi | 2% | 96% |
| La Crosse County, WI | 33 mi | 1% | 19% |
| Eau Claire County, WI | 37 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Wood County, WI | 39 mi | 4% | 80% |
| Juneau County, WI | 43 mi | 2% | 62% |
| Buffalo County, WI | 48 mi | 4% | 16% |
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