Marathon County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 67% of Marathon County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
81.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 78.4% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 54% 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 Marathon County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 66.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,008,769 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Withee | 10% | n/a |
| Loyal | 8% | n/a |
| Rietbrock | 8% | n/a |
| Fenwood | 7% | n/a |
| Meadland | 5% | n/a |
| Kennan | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI073 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 67% of Marathon 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: 33.25 in, 0.24 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 33.01 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
81.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 81.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 26.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $67,116 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.01 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.25 in (+0.24) |
| 2025 | 32.70 in (-0.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 46.07 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 21.32 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAUSAU DWTN AP (7 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 60,910 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, WI | 30 mi | 0% | 74% |
| Portage County, WI | 32 mi | 2% | 46% |
| Wood County, WI | 33 mi | 4% | 80% |
| Langlade County, WI | 42 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Taylor County, WI | 42 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Clark County, WI | 43 mi | 2% | 96% |
| Waupaca County, WI | 48 mi | 1% | 46% |
| Shawano County, WI | 50 mi | under 1% | 50% |
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