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Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut
A shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Western Connecticut Planning Region's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties and the 7th highest of 9 Connecticut counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
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 1971.
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 Western Connecticut Planning Region
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 68.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.9% |
| Mapped soil | 414,737 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton | 12% | n/a |
| Chatfield | 8% | n/a |
| Paxton | 6% | n/a |
| Canton | 5% | n/a |
| Woodbridge | 5% | n/a |
| Hollis | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
On 35% of Western Connecticut 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 68% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 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 | 251,530 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $652,900 |
| Single-family detached | 57% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT | 14 mi | 0% | 23% |
| Westchester County, NY | 18 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Putnam County, NY | 19 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT | 25 mi | under 1% | 37% |
| Rockland County, NY | 31 mi | 0% | 30% |
| South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 32 mi | 0% | 23% |
| Dutchess County, NY | 36 mi | under 1% | 20% |
| Bronx County, NY | 36 mi | 0% | 9% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status