Shawano County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Shawano County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
23.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 12.5% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Shawano County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 582,125 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rosholt | 9% | n/a |
| Kennan | 8% | n/a |
| Solona | 7% | n/a |
| Tilleda | 6% | n/a |
| Onaway | 6% | n/a |
| Cathro | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI115 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 50% of Shawano 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: 33.67 in, 0.95 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 32.72 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
23.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 96.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 23.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $290,750 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 32.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.67 in (+0.95) |
| 2025 | 29.02 in (-3.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 48.45 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1976: 19.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SHAWANO 2SSW (7 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,670 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $194,000 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menominee County, WI | 15 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Waupaca County, WI | 24 mi | 1% | 46% |
| Outagamie County, WI | 29 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Oconto County, WI | 30 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Langlade County, WI | 36 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Portage County, WI | 42 mi | 2% | 46% |
| Brown County, WI | 43 mi | 47% | 32% |
| Winnebago County, WI | 49 mi | 33% | 48% |
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