Penobscot County, Maine
A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Penobscot County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties and the 2nd 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 7 flood losses here since 2016. 54% 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 Penobscot County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 2,275,290 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Monarda | 10% | n/a |
| Plaisted | 9% | n/a |
| Burnham | 6% | n/a |
| Howland | 6% | n/a |
| Thorndike | 5% | n/a |
| Hermon | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ME612 (2025-08-29), ME614 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 68% of Penobscot 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: 35.56 in, 8.52 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.08 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 49 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 | 47.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $58,737 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.08 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.56 in (-8.52) |
| 2025 | 38.58 in (-5.50) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2005: 64.44 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2001: 26.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DOVER-FOXCROFT WWTP (29 mi away) | 9.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 75,683 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $214,100 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piscataquis County, ME | 41 mi | 0% | 68% |
| Washington County, ME | 60 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Hancock County, ME | 60 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Somerset County, ME | 63 mi | 0% | 66% |
| Waldo County, ME | 68 mi | 0% | 57% |
| Kennebec County, ME | 87 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Aroostook County, ME | 90 mi | 0% | 74% |
| Franklin County, ME | 90 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