Sauk County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 26% of Sauk County's mapped land. 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 87 flood losses here since 2016, 85% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Sauk County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 25.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.8% |
| Mapped soil | 542,886 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| La Farge | 10% | n/a |
| Valton | 9% | n/a |
| Norden | 7% | n/a |
| Baraboo | 4% | n/a |
| Ettrick | 4% | n/a |
| Dorerton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI111 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 26% of Sauk 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: 31.19 in, 5.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.10 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 22 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 80% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the December 30, 2025 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
87 flood losses since 2016, $3.9 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 77. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 85% basements, 15% slabs. Median water depth outside the building: 25 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 77 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.19 in (-5.91) |
| 2025 | 30.70 in (-6.40) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 50.68 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1958: 18.26 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BARABOO (11 mi away) | 9.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 31,496 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $258,600 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County, WI | 25 mi | 7% | 15% |
| Columbia County, WI | 31 mi | 1% | 48% |
| Iowa County, WI | 31 mi | 37% | 12% |
| Juneau County, WI | 36 mi | 2% | 62% |
| Dane County, WI | 36 mi | 7% | 34% |
| Marquette County, WI | 38 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Adams County, WI | 39 mi | 2% | 40% |
| Vernon County, WI | 45 mi | 8% | 8% |
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