Baltimore city, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 18% of Baltimore city's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 194 flood losses here since 2016, 64% of them in buildings with basements. 82% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1947.
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 Baltimore city
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 45.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.8% |
| Urban land, not rated | 46.4% |
| Mapped soil | 51,691 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Legore | 9% | n/a |
| Joppa | 3% | n/a |
| Sunnyside | 3% | n/a |
| Jackland | 2% | n/a |
| Sassafras | 2% | n/a |
| Montalto | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD510 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 18% of Baltimore city'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: 37.17 in, 9.81 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.98 in.
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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
194 flood losses since 2016, $4.7 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 80. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 64% basements, 27% slabs, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 31 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 80 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 21 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.17 in (-9.81) |
| 2025 | 38.45 in (-8.53) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 73.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BALTIMORE WASH INTL AP (10 mi away) | 10.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 295,032 |
| Median year built | 1947 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 48% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $229,600 |
| Single-family detached | 15% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore County, MD | 10 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Howard County, MD | 17 mi | 1% | 24% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 21 mi | 0% | 46% |
| Harford County, MD | 23 mi | 5% | 29% |
| Kent County, MD | 26 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Carroll County, MD | 28 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 33 mi | under 1% | 79% |
| Montgomery County, MD | 34 mi | 1% | 19% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status