Pepin County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 25% of Pepin County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Pepin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 25.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.6% |
| Mapped soil | 158,925 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pepin | 9% | n/a |
| Seaton | 7% | n/a |
| Urne | 6% | n/a |
| Churchtown | 5% | n/a |
| Drammen | 4% | n/a |
| Dorerton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI091 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 25% of Pepin 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: 27.20 in, 7.57 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.77 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 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 | 88.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $119,906 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.77 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.20 in (-7.57) |
| 2025 | 31.66 in (-3.11) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 47.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 14.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONDOVI (9 mi away) | 7.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,606 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $214,800 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County, WI | 17 mi | 4% | 16% |
| Dunn County, WI | 22 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Eau Claire County, WI | 28 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Pierce County, WI | 30 mi | 8% | 39% |
| Wabasha County, MN | 31 mi | 6% | 36% |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 32 mi | 1% | 15% |
| Chippewa County, WI | 41 mi | under 1% | 55% |
| St. Croix County, WI | 41 mi | under 1% | 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