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Middlesex County, Massachusetts
A shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Middlesex County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% of US counties and the 6th highest of 14 Massachusetts counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
31.4% of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 28.5% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 186 flood losses here since 2016, 71% of them in buildings with basements. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, September 22, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Middlesex County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 9.4% |
| Mapped soil | 542,112 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton | 7% | n/a |
| Hinckley | 6% | n/a |
| Freetown | 6% | n/a |
| Canton | 6% | n/a |
| Paxton | 5% | n/a |
| Windsor | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MA017 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 41% of Middlesex 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: 36.52 in, 10.84 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.36 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
31.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, September 22, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 83.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 31.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
186 flood losses since 2016, $2.4 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 56. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 71% basements, 15% slabs, 1% crawl spaces, 13% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 24 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 38 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 56 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.52 in (-10.84) |
| 2025 | 40.23 in (-7.13) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 59.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 27.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LOWELL (11 mi away) | 12.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 664,267 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $727,800 |
| Single-family detached | 47% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County, MA | 22 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Norfolk County, MA | 24 mi | 0% | 34% |
| Essex County, MA | 29 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Worcester County, MA | 30 mi | under 1% | 51% |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 34 mi | 3% | 28% |
| Rockingham County, NH | 38 mi | under 1% | 48% |
| Providence County, RI | 43 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 48 mi | 0% | 51% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status