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Richland County, Wisconsin

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 7% of Richland County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 15%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 23 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

15%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

62%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Richland County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.4%
High water table (limits basements)14.9%
Septic fields very limited92.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)27.9%
Mapped soil377,863 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Churchtown17%n/a
Fivepoints11%n/a
Valton9%n/a
Dorerton8%n/a
Elbaville5%n/a
Norden5%n/a
Vernon County: 8%Sauk County: 1%Crawford County: 5%Iowa County: 37%Grant County: 23%Monroe County: 5%Juneau County: 2%Allamakee County: 18%Richland County VernonSaukCrawfordIowaGrantMonroeJuneauAllamakeeRichland
Richland County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WI103 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 34.12 in, 3.00 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.12 in.

USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 7% and a shallow water table on 15% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Richland County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 11.9% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the December 30, 2025 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

23 flood losses since 2016, $620,526 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 13.

YearFlood losses
20163
20176
201813
20190
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202037.12 in
12 months to August 202634.12 in (-3.00)
202530.82 in (-6.30)
Wettest year since 18952019: 49.01 in
Driest year since 18951958: 17.58 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LA FARGE (17 mi away)8.6

Homes

Housing units8,532
Median year built1971
Built before 198062%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$197,500
Single-family detached81%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Vernon County, WI 24 mi 8% 8%
Sauk County, WI 25 mi 1% 26%
Crawford County, WI 27 mi 5% 9%
Iowa County, WI 30 mi 37% 12%
Grant County, WI 37 mi 23% 11%
Monroe County, WI 40 mi 5% 28%
Juneau County, WI 42 mi 2% 62%
Allamakee County, IA 48 mi 18% 11%

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