Franklin County, Maine
A shallow water table limits basements on 58% of Franklin County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties and the 7th 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 32 flood losses here since 2016, 36% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 58.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,123,549 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Peru | 17% | n/a |
| Colonel | 11% | n/a |
| Marlow | 9% | n/a |
| Brayton | 5% | n/a |
| Telos | 4% | n/a |
| Chesuncook | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ME610 (2025-08-29), ME619 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 58% of Franklin 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: 40.37 in, 7.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.93 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
32 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 25. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 36% basements, 39% slabs, 14% crawl spaces, 11% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 25 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.93 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.37 in (-7.56) |
| 2025 | 39.59 in (-8.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 62.10 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1949: 32.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RANGELEY (11 mi away) | 7.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,234 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $194,700 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford County, ME | 37 mi | 0% | 48% |
| Somerset County, ME | 43 mi | 0% | 66% |
| Coos County, NH | 48 mi | under 1% | 53% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 50 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 57 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Essex County, VT | 67 mi | 0% | 71% |
| Waldo County, ME | 73 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 78 mi | 0% | 38% |
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