Wicomico County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Wicomico County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 24 Maryland counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
6.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 85 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Wicomico County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.4% |
| Mapped soil | 232,833 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Runclint | 8% | n/a |
| Berryland | 7% | n/a |
| Hurlock | 7% | n/a |
| Othello | 6% | n/a |
| Klej | 6% | n/a |
| Fallsington | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD045 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 84% of Wicomico 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: 37.21 in, 8.60 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.81 in.
USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
6.5% 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 20 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 93.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 6.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
85 flood losses since 2016, $3.5 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 31. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 48% slabs, 40% crawl spaces, 7% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 31 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 14 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.21 in (-8.60) |
| 2025 | 39.85 in (-5.96) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1948: 66.42 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.88 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SALISBURY WICOMICO RGNL AP (7 mi away) | 12.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 44,127 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $254,700 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County, MD | 20 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 23 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Somerset County, MD | 23 mi | under 1% | 40% |
| Sussex County, DE | 27 mi | 0% | 61% |
| Caroline County, MD | 36 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Talbot County, MD | 39 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Accomack County, VA | 42 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Calvert County, MD | 49 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