Cumberland County, Maine
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Cumberland County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties and the 10th highest of 16 Maine 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 111 flood losses here since 2016, 36% of them in buildings with basements. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Cumberland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 689,331 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hermon | 8% | n/a |
| Paxton | 6% | n/a |
| Windsor | 6% | n/a |
| Lyman | 6% | n/a |
| Scantic | 5% | n/a |
| Skerry | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ME005 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Cumberland 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: 38.00 in, 10.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.65 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 36 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 | 90% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 13.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
111 flood losses since 2016, $2.4 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 85. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 36% basements, 9% slabs, 22% crawl spaces, 33% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 85 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.00 in (-10.65) |
| 2025 | 38.67 in (-9.98) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2005: 68.36 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 28.15 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRAY (7 mi away) | 13.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 153,286 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $451,200 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 26 mi | 0% | 45% |
| York County, ME | 31 mi | 3% | 52% |
| Lincoln County, ME | 43 mi | 0% | 43% |
| Carroll County, NH | 44 mi | 2% | 36% |
| Strafford County, NH | 50 mi | 1% | 39% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 51 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Oxford County, ME | 51 mi | 0% | 48% |
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