Androscoggin County, Maine
A shallow water table limits basements on 45% of Androscoggin County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 23 flood losses here since 2016, 77% of them in buildings with basements. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Androscoggin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 45.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 318,362 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton | 16% | n/a |
| Adams | 11% | n/a |
| Sutton | 9% | n/a |
| Lyman | 7% | n/a |
| Scantic | 5% | n/a |
| Ninigret | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ME606 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 45% of Androscoggin 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: 37.95 in, 9.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.78 in.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 68% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
23 flood losses since 2016, $360,758 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 16. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 77% basements, 18% slabs, 5% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.95 in (-9.83) |
| 2025 | 39.66 in (-8.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 64.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 28.02 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DURHAM (13 mi away) | 12.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 50,471 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $252,800 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 25 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 26 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 28 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Oxford County, ME | 34 mi | 0% | 48% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 36 mi | 0% | 43% |
| Carroll County, NH | 54 mi | 2% | 36% |
| York County, ME | 56 mi | 3% | 52% |
| Franklin County, ME | 57 mi | 0% | 58% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status