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Berkshire County, Massachusetts
A shallow water table limits basements on 33% of Berkshire County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties and the 9th highest of 14 Massachusetts 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. FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
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 Berkshire County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 33.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 605,914 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lyman | 12% | n/a |
| Tunbridge | 11% | n/a |
| Peru | 10% | n/a |
| Pillsbury | 8% | n/a |
| Berkshire | 7% | n/a |
| Marlow | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MA003 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 33% of Berkshire 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: 41.90 in, 5.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.89 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 74% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 9.2% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
17 flood losses since 2016, $85,498 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.89 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.90 in (-5.99) |
| 2025 | 43.26 in (-4.63) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 62.76 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 32.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WORTHINGTON (15 mi away) | 14.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 70,004 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $305,400 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, NY | 23 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Rensselaer County, NY | 28 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Hampshire County, MA | 28 mi | under 1% | 47% |
| Hampden County, MA | 34 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Franklin County, MA | 35 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT | 36 mi | 0% | 40% |
| Albany County, NY | 41 mi | under 1% | 51% |
| Bennington County, VT | 46 mi | 0% | 32% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status