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Strafford County, New Hampshire

A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of Strafford County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties and the 5th highest of 10 New Hampshire counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

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. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

39%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

52%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Strafford County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.6%
High water table (limits basements)39.0%
Septic fields very limited86.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.6%
Mapped soil244,817 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gloucester20%n/a
Charlton9%n/a
Hollis9%n/a
Paxton7%n/a
Hinckley6%n/a
Windsor4%n/a
York County: 52%Rockingham County: 48%Belknap County: 42%Merrimack County: 49%Carroll County: 36%Hillsborough County: 28%Essex County: 45%Cumberland County: 49%Strafford County YorkRockinghamBelknapMerrimackCarrollHillsboroughEssexCumberlandStrafford
Strafford County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NH017 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

On 39% of Strafford 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: 36.16 in, 11.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.87 in.

USDA rates 87% 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.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

7 flood losses since 2016, $100,749 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20180
20190
20200
20210
20221
20233
20242
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.87 in
12 months to August 202636.16 in (-11.71)
202539.46 in (-8.41)
Wettest year since 18952008: 67.90 in
Driest year since 18951941: 30.42 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DURHAM (11 mi away)10.2

Homes

Housing units56,609
Median year built1979
Built before 198052%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied67%
Median value, owner-occupied$362,800
Single-family detached55%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
York County, ME 20 mi 3% 52%
Rockingham County, NH 21 mi under 1% 48%
Belknap County, NH 25 mi 2% 42%
Merrimack County, NH 32 mi 2% 49%
Carroll County, NH 41 mi 2% 36%
Hillsborough County, NH 44 mi 3% 28%
Essex County, MA 46 mi 0% 45%
Cumberland County, ME 50 mi 0% 49%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status