Somerset County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of Somerset County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 157 flood losses here since 2016, 7% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Somerset County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 40.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 205,345 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Quindocqua | 13% | n/a |
| Othello | 6% | n/a |
| Fallsington | 4% | n/a |
| Manokin | 2% | n/a |
| Kentuck | 2% | n/a |
| Queponco | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD039 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 40% of Somerset 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: 37.97 in, 7.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.27 in.
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 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
157 flood losses since 2016, $2.2 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 73. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 7% basements, 10% slabs, 70% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 14 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 73 |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.97 in (-7.30) |
| 2025 | 41.74 in (-3.53) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1948: 60.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.54 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALLOPS ISLAND FLIGHT FAC (23 mi away) | 10.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,928 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $173,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accomack County, VA | 22 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 23 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 27 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Worcester County, MD | 31 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Northumberland County, VA | 33 mi | 1% | 23% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 38 mi | 1% | 47% |
| Lancaster County, VA | 40 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Calvert County, MD | 48 mi | under 1% | 56% |
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