HomeMassachusettsSuffolk County
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Suffolk County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 284 flood losses here since 2016, 76% of them in buildings with basements. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1949.
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 Suffolk County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 21.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 21.3% |
| Mapped soil | 68,541 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Newport | 6% | n/a |
| Merrimac | 3% | n/a |
| Charlton | 2% | n/a |
| Hollis | 2% | n/a |
| Canton | 1% | n/a |
| Ipswich | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 36.65 in, 11.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.28 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Suffolk County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
284 flood losses since 2016, $5.7 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 154. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 76% basements, 11% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 24 |
| 2018 | 154 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 29 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 32 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.65 in (-11.63) |
| 2025 | 42.92 in (-5.36) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 60.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 26.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BOSTON LOGAN INTL AP (2 mi away) | 10.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 357,290 |
| Median year built | 1949 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 37% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $705,800 |
| Single-family detached | 13% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk County, MA | 14 mi | 0% | 34% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 22 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Essex County, MA | 23 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Plymouth County, MA | 28 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Bristol County, MA | 41 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Providence County, RI | 43 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Bristol County, RI | 45 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Rockingham County, NH | 46 mi | under 1% | 48% |
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