Dorchester County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 69% of Dorchester County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties and the 5th highest of 24 Maryland counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
36.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 224 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Dorchester County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 348,909 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Elkton | 12% | n/a |
| Othello | 10% | n/a |
| Mattapex | 5% | n/a |
| Fallsington | 4% | n/a |
| Downer | 4% | n/a |
| Fort Mott | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD019 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 69% of Dorchester 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: 34.82 in, 10.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.22 in.
USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
36.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 15 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 36.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
224 flood losses since 2016, $4.8 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 120. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 9% slabs, 69% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 17 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 120 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 52 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.82 in (-10.40) |
| 2025 | 38.74 in (-6.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 61.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.75 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROYAL OAK 2 SSW (21 mi away) | 13 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,433 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $262,400 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicomico County, MD | 23 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Talbot County, MD | 23 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Calvert County, MD | 27 mi | under 1% | 56% |
| Somerset County, MD | 27 mi | under 1% | 40% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 30 mi | 1% | 47% |
| Caroline County, MD | 33 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Sussex County, DE | 42 mi | 0% | 61% |
| Worcester County, MD | 42 mi | 0% | 86% |
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