Caroline County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Caroline County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties and the highest of 24 Maryland counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
56.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Caroline County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 201,383 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hambrook | 19% | n/a |
| Fallsington | 15% | n/a |
| Ingleside | 14% | n/a |
| Woodstown | 13% | n/a |
| Hammonton | 6% | n/a |
| Cedartown | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD011 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 86% of Caroline 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: 33.31 in, 12.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.37 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
56.8% 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 17 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 56.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $100,738 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.37 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.31 in (-12.06) |
| 2025 | 39.16 in (-6.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 59.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 25.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROYAL OAK 2 SSW (22 mi away) | 13 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,531 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $290,100 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 18 mi | under 1% | 79% |
| Talbot County, MD | 21 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Kent County, DE | 24 mi | 0% | 77% |
| Sussex County, DE | 30 mi | 0% | 61% |
| Kent County, MD | 30 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 33 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 36 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 40 mi | 0% | 46% |
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