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Norfolk County, Massachusetts

A shallow water table limits basements on 34% of Norfolk County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties and the 8th 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 454 flood losses here since 2016, 71% of them in buildings with basements. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

34%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

67%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Norfolk County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)34.2%
Septic fields very limited73.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)0.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated7.2%
Mapped soil282,085 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Canton9%n/a
Hinckley8%n/a
Merrimac7%n/a
Woodbridge6%n/a
Charlton5%n/a
Hollis4%n/a
Suffolk County: 11%Middlesex County: 41%Plymouth County: 51%Providence County: 42%Bristol County: 63%Bristol County: 38%Essex County: 45%Kent County: 34%Norfolk County SuffolkMiddlesexPlymouthProvidenceBristolBristolEssexKentNorfolk
Norfolk County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count

What the numbers mean here

On 34% of Norfolk 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: 39.69 in, 9.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.65 in.

USDA rates 73% 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 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

454 flood losses since 2016, $8.0 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 346. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 71% basements, 12% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 12% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19 in.

YearFlood losses
20162
20176
2018346
20199
202019
202113
20223
202327
202419
20259
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.65 in
12 months to August 202639.69 in (-9.96)
202544.62 in (-5.03)
Wettest year since 18952018: 63.90 in
Driest year since 18951965: 27.64 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALPOLE 2 (3 mi away)13.4

Homes

Housing units295,227
Median year built1964
Built before 198067%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied69%
Median value, owner-occupied$683,900
Single-family detached57%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Suffolk County, MA 14 mi 0% 11%
Middlesex County, MA 24 mi 0% 41%
Plymouth County, MA 26 mi 0% 51%
Providence County, RI 29 mi 0% 42%
Bristol County, MA 30 mi 0% 63%
Bristol County, RI 33 mi 0% 38%
Essex County, MA 36 mi 0% 45%
Kent County, RI 40 mi 0% 34%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status