Wood County, Wisconsin
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Wood County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties and the 4th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
16.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 14.5% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Wood County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 79.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.5% |
| Mapped soil | 517,613 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Vesper | 10% | n/a |
| Kert | 8% | n/a |
| Plainfield | 7% | 2% |
| Withee | 7% | n/a |
| Milladore | 5% | n/a |
| Friendship | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas WI141 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 80% of Wood 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: 33.00 in, 0.19 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 33.19 in.
USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
16.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 73.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 16.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $373,882 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 33.19 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.00 in (-0.19) |
| 2025 | 31.32 in (-1.87) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1938: 45.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 20.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WIS RAPIDS GRAND AV B (11 mi away) | 7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 34,755 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,600 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County, WI | 27 mi | 2% | 46% |
| Marathon County, WI | 33 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Clark County, WI | 34 mi | 2% | 96% |
| Adams County, WI | 36 mi | 2% | 40% |
| Juneau County, WI | 37 mi | 2% | 62% |
| Jackson County, WI | 39 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Monroe County, WI | 46 mi | 5% | 28% |
| Waushara County, WI | 46 mi | 5% | 36% |
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