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Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties and the 5th highest of 9 Connecticut counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. 63% 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 Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.7% |
| Mapped soil | 330,924 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton | 12% | n/a |
| Chatfield | 7% | n/a |
| Paxton | 5% | n/a |
| Canton | 4% | n/a |
| Woodbridge | 4% | n/a |
| Wethersfield | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 71% 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 6 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 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 and rain records
FEMA's flood data and NOAA's county rainfall series still report Connecticut by its 8 former counties, which don't line up with the 9 planning regions that replaced them in 2022. This page leaves those numbers out rather than guess at a split.
Homes
| Housing units | 82,963 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $379,700 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 20 mi | 0% | 23% |
| Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 21 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Capitol Planning Region, CT | 28 mi | under 1% | 40% |
| Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT | 32 mi | under 1% | 37% |
| Suffolk County, NY | 35 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 40 mi | 0% | 52% |
| Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT | 41 mi | 0% | 23% |
| Washington County, RI | 45 mi | 0% | 38% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status