Cecil County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Cecil County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 83 flood losses here since 2016, 24% of them in buildings with basements. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Cecil County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.2% |
| Mapped soil | 240,833 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Glenelg | 10% | 0% |
| Matapeake | 6% | n/a |
| Sassafras | 5% | n/a |
| Nassawango | 4% | n/a |
| Mattapex | 4% | n/a |
| Glenville | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD015 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Cecil 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: 37.44 in, 9.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.59 in.
USDA rates 68% 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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 5.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
83 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 28. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 24% basements, 22% slabs, 24% crawl spaces, 31% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 22 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 28 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.59 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.44 in (-9.15) |
| 2025 | 38.47 in (-8.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 62.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.85 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CONOWINGO DAM (14 mi away) | 13 |
Homes
| Housing units | 44,355 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $343,400 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle County, DE | 16 mi | 2% | 34% |
| Harford County, MD | 19 mi | 5% | 29% |
| Kent County, MD | 24 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Chester County, PA | 30 mi | under 1% | 21% |
| Salem County, NJ | 31 mi | 2% | 54% |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 36 mi | under 1% | 79% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 37 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Lancaster County, PA | 37 mi | under 1% | 18% |
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