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Franklin County, Massachusetts
A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Franklin County's mapped land, a higher share than 54% of US counties and the 7th 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 7 flood losses here since 2016. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 463,654 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Millsite | 8% | n/a |
| Chatfield | 8% | n/a |
| Canton | 6% | n/a |
| Hollis | 5% | n/a |
| Shelburne | 4% | n/a |
| Montauk | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MA011 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 36% of Franklin 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: 38.35 in, 10.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.11 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 28, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 76.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $57,498 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.35 in (-10.76) |
| 2025 | 43.96 in (-5.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 65.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 32.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUNDERLAND (10 mi away) | 13.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 34,528 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $329,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire County, MA | 17 mi | under 1% | 47% |
| Windham County, VT | 29 mi | 0% | 29% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 29 mi | 4% | 27% |
| Hampden County, MA | 31 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Berkshire County, MA | 35 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Worcester County, MA | 38 mi | under 1% | 51% |
| Bennington County, VT | 41 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Rensselaer County, NY | 48 mi | 0% | 49% |
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