Waushara County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Waushara County's mapped land, a higher share than 54% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Waushara County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.6% |
| Mapped soil | 408,122 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Plainfield | 25% | 2% |
| Richford | 16% | n/a |
| Houghton | 6% | n/a |
| Okee | 6% | n/a |
| Adrian | 4% | n/a |
| Coloma | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI137 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 36% of Waushara 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: 31.50 in, 1.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.33 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 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
13 flood losses since 2016, $183,258 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.33 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.50 in (-1.83) |
| 2025 | 30.81 in (-2.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 43.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 18.72 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HANCOCK EXP FARM (15 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,875 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $203,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette County, WI | 21 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Green Lake County, WI | 27 mi | 2% | 48% |
| Adams County, WI | 28 mi | 2% | 40% |
| Portage County, WI | 28 mi | 2% | 46% |
| Winnebago County, WI | 28 mi | 33% | 48% |
| Waupaca County, WI | 29 mi | 1% | 46% |
| Outagamie County, WI | 44 mi | 20% | 54% |
| Columbia County, WI | 44 mi | 1% | 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