Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Manitowoc County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 38%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Manitowoc County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 37.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.6% |
| Mapped soil | 380,984 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kewaunee | 21% | n/a |
| Manawa | 11% | n/a |
| Hortonville | 11% | n/a |
| Houghton | 6% | n/a |
| Poygan | 5% | n/a |
| Symco | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI071 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 38% of the mapped land.
On 47% of Manitowoc 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: 28.29 in, 4.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.56 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 weeks, most recently on the March 10, 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
9 flood losses since 2016, $392,481 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.29 in (-4.27) |
| 2025 | 28.34 in (-4.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 43.16 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 19.06 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TWO RIVERS (1 mi away) | 6.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 38,084 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $186,900 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan County, WI | 30 mi | 33% | 37% |
| Brown County, WI | 30 mi | 47% | 32% |
| Kewaunee County, WI | 32 mi | 19% | 40% |
| Calumet County, WI | 32 mi | 44% | 42% |
| Ozaukee County, WI | 47 mi | 41% | 43% |
| Outagamie County, WI | 47 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Fond du Lac County, WI | 53 mi | 13% | 50% |
| Winnebago County, WI | 54 mi | 33% | 48% |
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