Marquette County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Marquette County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% of US counties. 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 9 flood losses here since 2016. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Marquette County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 297,376 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | 12% | 2% |
| Gotham | 11% | n/a |
| Houghton | 9% | n/a |
| Oshtemo | 8% | 0% |
| Granby | 7% | n/a |
| Adrian | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI077 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 41% of Marquette 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: 29.97 in, 4.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.70 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 66.6% 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 | 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, $146,564 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.97 in (-4.73) |
| 2025 | 30.81 in (-3.89) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 50.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1958: 17.25 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONTELLO (6 mi away) | 8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,827 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $210,400 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, WI | 21 mi | 2% | 40% |
| Waushara County, WI | 21 mi | 5% | 36% |
| Green Lake County, WI | 22 mi | 2% | 48% |
| Columbia County, WI | 25 mi | 1% | 48% |
| Juneau County, WI | 36 mi | 2% | 62% |
| Sauk County, WI | 38 mi | 1% | 26% |
| Winnebago County, WI | 41 mi | 33% | 48% |
| Dodge County, WI | 45 mi | 7% | 59% |
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