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Camden County, New Jersey

A shallow water table limits basements on 44% of Camden County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

The soil survey maps 72% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 184 flood losses here since 2016, 69% of them in buildings with basements. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

44%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

71%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Camden County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.1%
High water table (limits basements)43.8%
Septic fields very limited94.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil102,031 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Downer17%n/a
Aura9%n/a
Atsion9%n/a
Lakewood7%n/a
Evesboro7%n/a
Lakehurst5%n/a
Gloucester County: 34%Burlington County: 61%Philadelphia County: 5%Delaware County: 22%Salem County: 54%Atlantic County: 60%Cumberland County: 50%Montgomery County: 44%Camden County GloucesterBurlingtonPhiladelphiaDelawareSalemAtlanticCumberlandMontgomeryCamden
Camden 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 NJ007 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 44% of Camden 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: 37.83 in, 9.10 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.93 in.

USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.

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

Flood losses since 2016

184 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 56. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 69% basements, 14% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.

YearFlood losses
20163
20174
201815
201956
202010
202117
20224
202318
202418
20256
2026 to date33

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.93 in
12 months to August 202637.83 in (-9.10)
202537.91 in (-9.02)
Wettest year since 18952018: 64.59 in
Driest year since 18951965: 29.61 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INDIAN MILLS 2 W (10 mi away)14

Homes

Housing units213,774
Median year built1967
Built before 198071%
Built 2000 or later11%
Owner-occupied65%
Median value, owner-occupied$287,100
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
Gloucester County, NJ 11 mi 2% 34%
Burlington County, NJ 17 mi 1% 61%
Philadelphia County, PA 17 mi 0% 5%
Delaware County, PA 24 mi under 1% 22%
Salem County, NJ 26 mi 2% 54%
Atlantic County, NJ 29 mi 0% 60%
Cumberland County, NJ 34 mi 0% 50%
Montgomery County, PA 36 mi under 1% 44%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status