Worcester County, Maryland
A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Worcester County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties and the 2nd 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 78 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Worcester County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 365,257 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Othello | 10% | n/a |
| Fallsington | 7% | n/a |
| Woodstown | 4% | n/a |
| Berryland | 4% | n/a |
| Mattapex | 4% | n/a |
| Askecksy | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MD047 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 86% of Worcester 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: 38.16 in, 7.54 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.70 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 45 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 | 24.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
78 flood losses since 2016, $353,689 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 18. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 25% slabs, 40% crawl spaces, 31% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 18 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.16 in (-7.54) |
| 2025 | 42.02 in (-3.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1948: 64.53 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 24.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SNOW HILL 4 N (4 mi away) | 11.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 56,867 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $374,700 |
| Single-family detached | 43% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicomico County, MD | 20 mi | under 1% | 84% |
| Sussex County, DE | 31 mi | 0% | 61% |
| Somerset County, MD | 31 mi | under 1% | 40% |
| Accomack County, VA | 40 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Dorchester County, MD | 42 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Caroline County, MD | 53 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Talbot County, MD | 59 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Kent County, DE | 61 mi | 0% | 77% |
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