Lincoln County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 74% of Lincoln County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties and the 10th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 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 Lincoln County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 74.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 581,261 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Magnor | 18% | n/a |
| Freeon | 6% | n/a |
| Ossmer | 5% | n/a |
| Minocqua | 5% | n/a |
| Lupton | 4% | n/a |
| Pence | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI069 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 74% of Lincoln 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: 27.32 in, 5.51 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.83 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 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 | 11.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $16,351 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.83 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.32 in (-5.51) |
| 2025 | 31.52 in (-1.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1900: 42.76 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 19.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MERRILL (11 mi away) | 6.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,327 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $192,700 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oneida County, WI | 28 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Marathon County, WI | 30 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Langlade County, WI | 33 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Taylor County, WI | 38 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Price County, WI | 39 mi | 0% | 79% |
| Vilas County, WI | 51 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Forest County, WI | 52 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Menominee County, WI | 57 mi | 0% | 33% |
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