Kenosha County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 76% of Kenosha County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties and the 7th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 96 flood losses here since 2016, 35% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Kenosha County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.3% |
| Mapped soil | 178,207 acres |
How we count · survey areas WI059 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 76% of Kenosha 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: 38.36 in, 2.73 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 35.63 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
96 flood losses since 2016, $3.1 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 62. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 35% basements, 22% slabs, 31% crawl spaces, 12% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 62 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 13 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.36 in (+2.73) |
| 2025 | 28.70 in (-6.93) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 49.03 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 19.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KENOSHA (4 mi away) | 7.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 73,678 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $265,500 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racine County, WI | 14 mi | 15% | 76% |
| Milwaukee County, WI | 22 mi | 8% | 57% |
| Lake County, IL | 28 mi | 16% | 87% |
| Walworth County, WI | 34 mi | under 1% | 33% |
| McHenry County, IL | 34 mi | 2% | 54% |
| Waukesha County, WI | 37 mi | 3% | 42% |
| Cook County, IL | 49 mi | 25% | 59% |
| Boone County, IL | 52 mi | 6% | 55% |
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