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Bristol County, Massachusetts
A shallow water table limits basements on 63% of Bristol County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties and the 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 121 flood losses here since 2016, 60% of them in buildings with basements. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Bristol County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 63.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.3% |
| Mapped soil | 379,703 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Paxton | 16% | n/a |
| Woodbridge | 10% | n/a |
| Hinckley | 9% | n/a |
| Whitman | 8% | n/a |
| Ridgebury | 7% | n/a |
| Freetown | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MA602 (2025-09-05), MA603 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 63% of Bristol 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: 43.20 in, 6.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.63 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 10% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
121 flood losses since 2016, $2.1 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 49. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 60% basements, 21% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 13% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 15 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 49 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.20 in (-6.43) |
| 2025 | 43.95 in (-5.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 63.96 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 26.06 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROCHESTER (9 mi away) | 15.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 245,025 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $451,200 |
| Single-family detached | 53% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County, RI | 11 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Newport County, RI | 20 mi | 0% | 66% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 24 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Kent County, RI | 26 mi | 0% | 34% |
| Providence County, RI | 27 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Norfolk County, MA | 30 mi | 0% | 34% |
| Dukes County, MA | 32 mi | 0% | 17% |
| Washington County, RI | 37 mi | 0% | 38% |
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