Sawyer County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Sawyer County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% 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. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Sawyer County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 59.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 863,846 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Magnor | 8% | n/a |
| Freeon | 7% | n/a |
| Pence | 7% | n/a |
| Padus | 6% | n/a |
| Chequamegon | 4% | n/a |
| Lupton | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI113 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 60% of Sawyer 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: 24.38 in, 9.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.66 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 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 | 98.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 12.3% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $61,290 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.66 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 24.38 in (-9.28) |
| 2025 | 27.29 in (-6.37) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1968: 45.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.22 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINTER (9 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,250 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $236,200 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusk County, WI | 27 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Washburn County, WI | 31 mi | under 1% | 37% |
| Price County, WI | 40 mi | 0% | 79% |
| Barron County, WI | 45 mi | 0% | 48% |
| Ashland County, WI | 52 mi | 18% | 76% |
| Iron County, WI | 53 mi | 1% | 75% |
| Bayfield County, WI | 53 mi | 20% | 46% |
| Douglas County, WI | 55 mi | 20% | 56% |
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