Oxford County, Maine
A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Oxford County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% 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 63 flood losses here since 2016, 65% of them in buildings with basements. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Oxford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,342,036 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Skerry | 15% | n/a |
| Hermon | 8% | n/a |
| Monadnock | 8% | n/a |
| Colonel | 8% | n/a |
| Lyman | 5% | n/a |
| Adams | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ME613 (2025-08-29), ME619 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 48% of Oxford 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: 40.76 in, 7.03 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.79 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 40 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 | 1.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
63 flood losses since 2016, $2.8 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 57. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 65% basements, 13% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 13% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 39.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 57 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.79 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.76 in (-7.03) |
| 2025 | 39.76 in (-8.03) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1954: 62.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 32.69 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BERLIN (22 mi away) | 8.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 36,855 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $217,300 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coos County, NH | 29 mi | under 1% | 53% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 34 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Franklin County, ME | 37 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 48 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Carroll County, NH | 49 mi | 2% | 36% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 51 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Essex County, VT | 52 mi | 0% | 71% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 59 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