Lafayette County, Wisconsin
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Lafayette County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties and the 9th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 14%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Lafayette County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 29.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 52.4% |
| Mapped soil | 406,419 acres |
How we count · survey areas WI065 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 52% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 33.04 in, 5.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.28 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 25 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 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
4 flood losses since 2016, $76,342 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.04 in (-5.24) |
| 2025 | 31.94 in (-6.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 52.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 20.93 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CUBA CITY (15 mi away) | 9.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,234 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $194,500 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 21 mi | 17% | 20% |
| Iowa County, WI | 24 mi | 37% | 12% |
| Green County, WI | 27 mi | 30% | 19% |
| Stephenson County, IL | 32 mi | 13% | 24% |
| Grant County, WI | 32 mi | 23% | 11% |
| Dubuque County, IA | 40 mi | 9% | 25% |
| Jackson County, IA | 41 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Carroll County, IL | 42 mi | 13% | 17% |
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