York County, Maine
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of York County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties and the 9th highest of 16 Maine counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 724 flood losses here since 2016, 31% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 York County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.3% |
| Mapped soil | 656,844 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hermon | 12% | n/a |
| Lyman | 12% | n/a |
| Adams | 8% | n/a |
| Skerry | 8% | n/a |
| Naumburg | 7% | n/a |
| Brayton | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas ME031 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 52% of York 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: 37.04 in, 11.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.99 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 38 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 | 33.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
724 flood losses since 2016, $26.7 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 498. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 31% basements, 17% slabs, 20% crawl spaces, 32% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 22 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 92 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 117 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 498 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.04 in (-11.95) |
| 2025 | 38.74 in (-10.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2005: 67.57 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 29.32 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SANFORD 2 NNW (6 mi away) | 12.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 115,091 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $395,700 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strafford County, NH | 20 mi | 1% | 39% |
| Cumberland County, ME | 31 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Rockingham County, NH | 37 mi | under 1% | 48% |
| Belknap County, NH | 38 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Carroll County, NH | 40 mi | 2% | 36% |
| Merrimack County, NH | 51 mi | 2% | 49% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | 53 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Essex County, MA | 55 mi | 0% | 45% |
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