La Crosse County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of La Crosse County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 48 flood losses here since 2016, 81% of them in buildings with basements. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 La Crosse County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.1% |
| Mapped soil | 307,437 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Churchtown | 10% | n/a |
| Seaton | 7% | n/a |
| Dorerton | 6% | n/a |
| Valton | 6% | n/a |
| Norden | 5% | n/a |
| Council | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI063 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 19% of La Crosse 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: 34.17 in, 2.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.44 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 5 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
48 flood losses since 2016, $412,551 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 15. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 81% basements, 10% slabs, 10% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.17 in (-2.27) |
| 2025 | 35.62 in (-0.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 47.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.02 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LA CROSSE MUNI AP (7 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 54,011 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $257,000 |
| Single-family detached | 59% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, WI | 25 mi | 5% | 28% |
| Houston County, MN | 26 mi | 5% | 16% |
| Vernon County, WI | 26 mi | 8% | 8% |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 30 mi | 1% | 15% |
| Jackson County, WI | 33 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Winona County, MN | 33 mi | 6% | 15% |
| Allamakee County, IA | 46 mi | 18% | 11% |
| Buffalo County, WI | 46 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