Price County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 79% of Price County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties and the 5th highest of 72 Wisconsin 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. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Price County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 818,547 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Magnor | 17% | n/a |
| Freeon | 7% | n/a |
| Cathro | 6% | n/a |
| Lupton | 5% | n/a |
| Shanagolden | 5% | n/a |
| Pence | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI099 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 79% of Price 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: 24.02 in, 9.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.13 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 64.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $24,321 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.13 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 24.02 in (-9.11) |
| 2025 | 27.74 in (-5.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1968: 44.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.60 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PRENTICE #2 (10 mi away) | 5.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,819 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $162,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County, WI | 33 mi | 0% | 88% |
| Lincoln County, WI | 39 mi | 0% | 74% |
| Oneida County, WI | 40 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Sawyer County, WI | 40 mi | 0% | 60% |
| Rusk County, WI | 40 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Iron County, WI | 45 mi | 1% | 75% |
| Vilas County, WI | 49 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Marathon County, WI | 61 mi | under 1% | 67% |
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