Howard County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 24% of Howard County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 228 flood losses here since 2016, 42% of them in buildings with basements. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Howard County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 23.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 7.0% |
| Mapped soil | 162,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Glenelg | 25% | 0% |
| Manor | 12% | n/a |
| Glenville | 10% | n/a |
| Gladstone | 9% | n/a |
| Baile | 3% | n/a |
| Codorus | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD027 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 24% of Howard 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: 34.67 in, 11.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.14 in.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 51 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 | 8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
228 flood losses since 2016, $14.6 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 121. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 42% basements, 32% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 74 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 121 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.14 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.67 in (-11.47) |
| 2025 | 36.50 in (-9.64) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 69.75 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 20.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BALTIMORE WASH INTL AP (14 mi away) | 10.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 125,286 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $597,900 |
| Single-family detached | 50% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, MD | 17 mi | 1% | 19% |
| Baltimore city, MD | 17 mi | 5% | 18% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 21 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Carroll County, MD | 22 mi | 0% | 21% |
| District of Columbia, DC | 25 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 27 mi | 0% | 46% |
| Arlington County, VA | 28 mi | 0% | 3% |
| Falls Church city, VA | 29 mi | 0% | 13% |
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