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Maine soil by county

Across Maine's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1% and a shallow water table limits basements on 62%.

Highest clay shares: York County (3%), Androscoggin County (0%), Aroostook County (0%), Cumberland County (0%), Franklin County (0%). Highest water-table shares: Aroostook County (74%), Penobscot County (68%), Piscataquis County (68%), Somerset County (66%), Washington County (62%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 16 counties

Androscoggin County: 0%Aroostook County: 0%Cumberland County: 0%Franklin County: 0%Hancock County: 0%Kennebec County: 0%Knox County: 0%Lincoln County: 0%Oxford County: 0%Penobscot County: 0%Piscataquis County: 0%Sagadahoc County: 0%Somerset County: 0%Waldo County: 0%Washington County: 0%York County: 3%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Androscoggin County: 45%Aroostook County: 74%Cumberland County: 49%Franklin County: 58%Hancock County: 47%Kennebec County: 59%Knox County: 42%Lincoln County: 43%Oxford County: 48%Penobscot County: 68%Piscataquis County: 68%Sagadahoc County: 38%Somerset County: 66%Waldo County: 57%Washington County: 62%York County: 52%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in Maine

Select a column heading to sort.
Androscoggin County 0% 45% 100% 23 1969
Aroostook County 0% 74% 100% 22 1972
Cumberland County 0% 49% 100% 111 1976
Franklin County 0% 58% 100% 32 1978
Hancock County 0% 47% 100% 43 1982
Kennebec County 0% 59% 100% 62 1975
Knox County 0% 42% 100% 42 1974
Lincoln County 0% 43% 100% 72 1978
Oxford County 0% 48% 100% 63 1977
Penobscot County 0% 68% 100% 7 1977
Piscataquis County 0% 68% 100% 5 1978
Sagadahoc County 0% 38% 100% 19 1977
Somerset County 0% 66% 100% 37 1978
Waldo County 0% 57% 100% 27 1982
Washington County 0% 62% 100% 12 1975
York County 3% 52% 100% 724 1980

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.