Kent County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Kent County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties and the 9th 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 17 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Kent County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 188,559 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mattapex | 19% | n/a |
| Matapeake | 17% | n/a |
| Sassafras | 14% | n/a |
| Butlertown | 5% | n/a |
| Othello | 5% | n/a |
| Woodstown | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD029 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Kent 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: 31.45 in, 12.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.40 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 24 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 | 68.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
17 flood losses since 2016, $828,474 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.45 in (-12.95) |
| 2025 | 36.00 in (-8.40) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2003: 61.70 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.60 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CONOWINGO DAM (29 mi away) | 13 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,363 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $330,900 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 | 14 mi | under 1% | 79% |
| Harford County, MD | 22 mi | 5% | 29% |
| Cecil County, MD | 24 mi | 2% | 38% |
| Baltimore city, MD | 26 mi | 5% | 18% |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 29 mi | 0% | 46% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 30 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Caroline County, MD | 30 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Talbot County, MD | 34 mi | 0% | 65% |
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