Oconto County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Oconto County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US 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, up from 95.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 54 flood losses here since 2016, 27% of them in buildings with basements. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Oconto County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 650,985 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Solona | 8% | n/a |
| Onaway | 8% | n/a |
| Padus | 6% | n/a |
| Menahga | 6% | n/a |
| Pence | 6% | n/a |
| Ossineke | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI083 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 51% of Oconto 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: 30.84 in, 1.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 32.42 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 17 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 | 16% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
54 flood losses since 2016, $772,436 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 38. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 27% basements, 13% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 47% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 7.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.42 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.84 in (-1.58) |
| 2025 | 28.83 in (-3.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 48.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 19.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OCONTO 4 W (14 mi away) | 7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,072 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $231,400 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menominee County, WI | 23 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Marinette County, WI | 26 mi | under 1% | 42% |
| Shawano County, WI | 30 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Brown County, WI | 38 mi | 47% | 32% |
| Outagamie County, WI | 42 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Langlade County, WI | 46 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Kewaunee County, WI | 46 mi | 19% | 40% |
| Menominee County, MI | 51 mi | under 1% | 60% |
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