BasementSoil

Minnesota: basement moisture and foundation risk by county

87 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Clay County (86), lowest is Koochiching County (20). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Clay County.

Where in Minnesota the ground is worse

Every county in the state, coloured by the soil values below. Click a county to open its report; switch what the colour means with the buttons. The pattern is geology, not administration — risk stops at the edge of a physiographic region, not at a county line.

Aitkin County, MN — combined 23/100, moisture 30, movement 7, water table 30Anoka County, MN — combined 64/100, moisture 66, movement 48, water table 82Becker County, MN — combined 28/100, moisture 33, movement 8, water table 46Beltrami County, MN — combined 22/100, moisture 31, movement 14, water table 16Benton County, MN — combined 68/100, moisture 68, movement 59, water table 82Big Stone County, MN — combined 65/100, moisture 66, movement 43, water table 95Blue Earth County, MN — combined 69/100, moisture 67, movement 61, water table 82Brown County, MN — combined 68/100, moisture 69, movement 46, water table 95Carlton County, MN — combined 25/100, moisture 32, movement 12, water table 30Carver County, MN — combined 57/100, moisture 64, movement 42, water table 66Cass County, MN — combined 29/100, moisture 31, movement 14, water table 46Chippewa County, MN — combined 63/100, moisture 68, movement 54, water table 66Chisago County, MN — combined 68/100, moisture 68, movement 58, water table 82Clay County, MN — combined 86/100, moisture 77, movement 100, water table 82Clearwater County, MN — combined 27/100, moisture 31, movement 7, water table 46Cook County, MN — combined 31/100, moisture 33, movement 17, water table 46Cottonwood County, MN — combined 61/100, moisture 66, movement 40, water table 82Crow Wing County, MN — combined 26/100, moisture 29, movement 18, water table 30Dakota County, MN — combined 63/100, moisture 65, movement 48, water table 82Dodge County, MN — combined 68/100, moisture 66, movement 60, water table 82Douglas County, MN — combined 62/100, moisture 67, movement 52, water table 66Faribault County, MN — combined 69/100, moisture 67, movement 61, water table 82Fillmore County, MN — combined 32/100, moisture 37, movement 25, water table 30Freeborn County, MN — combined 61/100, moisture 67, movement 37, water table 82Goodhue County, MN — combined 63/100, moisture 65, movement 46, water table 82Grant County, MN — combined 66/100, moisture 65, movement 45, water table 95Hennepin County, MN — combined 62/100, moisture 68, movement 52, water table 66Houston County, MN — combined 34/100, moisture 37, movement 34, water table 30Hubbard County, MN — combined 23/100, moisture 30, movement 8, water table 30Isanti County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 65, movement 59, water table 82Itasca County, MN — combined 27/100, moisture 33, movement 16, water table 30Jackson County, MN — combined 62/100, moisture 66, movement 43, water table 82Kanabec County, MN — combined 60/100, moisture 65, movement 36, water table 82Kandiyohi County, MN — combined 62/100, moisture 66, movement 43, water table 82Kittson County, MN — combined 86/100, moisture 77, movement 100, water table 82Koochiching County, MN — combined 20/100, moisture 31, movement 7, water table 16Lac qui Parle County, MN — combined 61/100, moisture 65, movement 39, water table 82Lake County, MN — combined 24/100, moisture 29, movement 13, water table 30Lake of the Woods County, MN — combined 24/100, moisture 30, movement 20, water table 16Le Sueur County, MN — combined 69/100, moisture 67, movement 52, water table 95Lincoln County, MN — combined 64/100, moisture 66, movement 48, water table 82Lyon County, MN — combined 60/100, moisture 68, movement 33, water table 82Mahnomen County, MN — combined 30/100, moisture 31, movement 16, water table 46Marshall County, MN — combined 76/100, moisture 75, movement 73, water table 82Martin County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 67, movement 47, water table 95McLeod County, MN — combined 65/100, moisture 66, movement 51, water table 82Meeker County, MN — combined 68/100, moisture 67, movement 60, water table 82Mille Lacs County, MN — combined 60/100, moisture 68, movement 34, water table 82Morrison County, MN — combined 64/100, moisture 66, movement 40, water table 95Mower County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 64, movement 59, water table 82Murray County, MN — combined 61/100, moisture 64, movement 42, water table 82Nicollet County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 66, movement 58, water table 82Nobles County, MN — combined 59/100, moisture 66, movement 43, water table 66Norman County, MN — combined 76/100, moisture 74, movement 66, water table 95Olmsted County, MN — combined 37/100, moisture 33, movement 35, water table 46Otter Tail County, MN — combined 66/100, moisture 66, movement 55, water table 82Pennington County, MN — combined 86/100, moisture 78, movement 100, water table 82Pine County, MN — combined 57/100, moisture 64, movement 42, water table 66Pipestone County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 68, movement 54, water table 82Polk County, MN — combined 78/100, moisture 76, movement 77, water table 82Pope County, MN — combined 65/100, moisture 67, movement 50, water table 82Ramsey County, MN — combined 60/100, moisture 69, movement 33, water table 82Red Lake County, MN — combined 86/100, moisture 78, movement 100, water table 82Redwood County, MN — combined 65/100, moisture 67, movement 51, water table 82Renville County, MN — combined 65/100, moisture 67, movement 60, water table 66Rice County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 64, movement 61, water table 82Rock County, MN — combined 63/100, moisture 65, movement 48, water table 82Roseau County, MN — combined 24/100, moisture 30, movement 10, water table 30Scott County, MN — combined 59/100, moisture 64, movement 46, water table 66Sherburne County, MN — combined 59/100, moisture 67, movement 43, water table 66Sibley County, MN — combined 61/100, moisture 67, movement 36, water table 82St. Louis County, MN — combined 20/100, moisture 30, movement 8, water table 16Stearns County, MN — combined 68/100, moisture 65, movement 61, water table 82Steele County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 68, movement 44, water table 95Stevens County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 66, movement 58, water table 82Swift County, MN — combined 63/100, moisture 69, movement 51, water table 66Todd County, MN — combined 67/100, moisture 68, movement 47, water table 95Traverse County, MN — combined 58/100, moisture 64, movement 33, water table 82Wabasha County, MN — combined 32/100, moisture 38, movement 25, water table 30Wadena County, MN — combined 24/100, moisture 30, movement 20, water table 16Waseca County, MN — combined 68/100, moisture 68, movement 48, water table 95Washington County, MN — combined 64/100, moisture 66, movement 47, water table 82Watonwan County, MN — combined 63/100, moisture 68, movement 41, water table 82Wilkin County, MN — combined 86/100, moisture 75, movement 94, water table 95Winona County, MN — combined 31/100, moisture 34, movement 28, water table 30Wright County, MN — combined 62/100, moisture 66, movement 42, water table 82Yellow Medicine County, MN — combined 63/100, moisture 67, movement 34, water table 95
  • Low (0–27)
  • Moderate (28–49)
  • Elevated (50–74)
  • High (75–100)

County boundaries: US Census TIGER (public domain), simplified for display. Colours are our index from USDA SSURGO fields where loaded, otherwise from our regional model — each county page states which. How the index is calculated.

CountyIndexMoistureCracksWater tableRegion
Clay County867710082Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Kittson County867710082Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Pennington County867810082Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Red Lake County867810082Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Wilkin County86759495Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Polk County78767782Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Marshall County76757382Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Norman County76746695Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)
Blue Earth County69676182Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Faribault County69676182Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Le Sueur County69675295Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Benton County68685982Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Brown County68694695Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Chisago County68685882Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Dodge County68666082Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Meeker County68676082Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Stearns County68656182Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Waseca County68684895Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Isanti County67655982Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Martin County67674795Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Mower County67645982Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Nicollet County67665882Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Pipestone County67685482Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Rice County67646182Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Steele County67684495Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Stevens County67665882Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Todd County67684795Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Grant County66654595Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Otter Tail County66665582Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Big Stone County65664395Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
McLeod County65665182Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Pope County65675082Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Redwood County65675182Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Renville County65676066Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Anoka County64664882Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Lincoln County64664882Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Morrison County64664095Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Washington County64664782Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Chippewa County63685466Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Dakota County63654882Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Goodhue County63654682Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Rock County63654882Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Swift County63695166Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Watonwan County63684182Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Yellow Medicine County63673495Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Douglas County62675266Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Hennepin County62685266Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Jackson County62664382Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Kandiyohi County62664382Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Wright County62664282Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Cottonwood County61664082Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Freeborn County61673782Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Lac qui Parle County61653982Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Murray County61644282Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Sibley County61673682Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Kanabec County60653682Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Lyon County60683382Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Mille Lacs County60683482Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Ramsey County60693382Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Nobles County59664366Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Scott County59644666Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Sherburne County59674366Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Traverse County58643382Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Carver County57644266Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Pine County57644266Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes
Olmsted County37333546Driftless Area
Houston County34373430Driftless Area
Fillmore County32372530Driftless Area
Wabasha County32382530Driftless Area
Cook County31331746Glaciofluvial sand plains
Winona County31342830Driftless Area
Mahnomen County30311646Glaciofluvial sand plains
Cass County29311446Glaciofluvial sand plains
Becker County2833846Glaciofluvial sand plains
Clearwater County2731746Glaciofluvial sand plains
Itasca County27331630Glaciofluvial sand plains
Crow Wing County26291830Glaciofluvial sand plains
Carlton County25321230Glaciofluvial sand plains
Lake County24291330Glaciofluvial sand plains
Lake of the Woods County24302016Glaciofluvial sand plains
Roseau County24301030Glaciofluvial sand plains
Wadena County24302016Glaciofluvial sand plains
Aitkin County2330730Glaciofluvial sand plains
Hubbard County2330830Glaciofluvial sand plains
Beltrami County22311416Glaciofluvial sand plains
Koochiching County2031716Glaciofluvial sand plains
St. Louis County2030816Glaciofluvial sand plains

Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.

The physiographic regions inside Minnesota

State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Minnesota and why each behaves the way it does.

Des Moines Lobe and prairie potholes

The youngest glaciation in the Midwest, so the landscape has not yet developed a drainage network. Without artificial drainage much of it would be wetland. A house in a depression and a house 300 m away on a rise have genuinely different risk — this is where a county average tells you least.

57 counties: Anoka County, Benton County, Big Stone County, Blue Earth County, Brown County, Carver County, Chippewa County, Chisago County, Cottonwood County, Dakota County, Dodge County, Douglas County, Faribault County, Freeborn County, Goodhue County, Grant County, Hennepin County, Isanti County, Jackson County, Kanabec County, Kandiyohi County, Lac qui Parle County, Le Sueur County, Lincoln County, Lyon County, Martin County, McLeod County, Meeker County, Mille Lacs County, Morrison County, Mower County, Murray County, Nicollet County, Nobles County, Otter Tail County, Pine County, Pipestone County, Pope County, Ramsey County, Redwood County, Renville County, Rice County, Rock County, Scott County, Sherburne County, Sibley County, Stearns County, Steele County, Stevens County, Swift County, Todd County, Traverse County, Waseca County, Washington County, Watonwan County, Wright County, Yellow Medicine County

Glaciofluvial sand plains

Sand sheds water and there is very little clay, so volume-change cracking is rare. Where the outwash is thin over till or bedrock, though, a local perched water table forms and basements leak even in sand.

17 counties: Aitkin County, Becker County, Beltrami County, Carlton County, Cass County, Clearwater County, Cook County, Crow Wing County, Hubbard County, Itasca County, Koochiching County, Lake County, Lake of the Woods County, Mahnomen County, Roseau County, St. Louis County, Wadena County

Red River Valley (bed of glacial Lake Agassiz)

The combination that destroys foundations: no slope, impermeable clay, and extreme volume change. Foundation repair is a bigger trade here than waterproofing.

8 counties: Clay County, Kittson County, Marshall County, Norman County, Pennington County, Polk County, Red Lake County, Wilkin County

Driftless Area

The region the ice sheets missed. Slope, permeable loess, deep water table. Soil-driven basement risk is low here; the problems are surface runoff arriving from the hillside rather than groundwater pushing in.

5 counties: Fillmore County, Houston County, Olmsted County, Wabasha County, Winona County

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