Garrett County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Garrett County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties and the 10th highest of 24 Maryland counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Garrett County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 457,712 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gilpin | 17% | under 1% |
| Dekalb | 13% | n/a |
| Calvin | 9% | n/a |
| Cookport | 8% | n/a |
| Ernest | 7% | n/a |
| Ungers | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD023 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 47% of Garrett 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: 41.57 in, 6.81 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.38 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.5% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the November 11, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $300,339 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.57 in (-6.81) |
| 2025 | 45.68 in (-2.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 72.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAVAGE RVR DAM (8 mi away) | 8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,642 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $235,300 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral County, WV | 20 mi | 2% | 21% |
| Preston County, WV | 22 mi | under 1% | 25% |
| Allegany County, MD | 31 mi | 2% | 21% |
| Grant County, WV | 31 mi | 6% | 22% |
| Fayette County, PA | 32 mi | 2% | 49% |
| Somerset County, PA | 33 mi | 0% | 39% |
| Tucker County, WV | 34 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Hampshire County, WV | 39 mi | 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