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Cumberland County, New Jersey
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Cumberland County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties and the 9th highest of 21 New Jersey counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 38 flood losses here since 2016, 12% of them in buildings with basements. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Cumberland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 325,360 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Downer | 11% | n/a |
| Aura | 11% | n/a |
| Hammonton | 9% | n/a |
| Sassafras | 8% | n/a |
| Transquaking | 7% | n/a |
| Manahawkin | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NJ011 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 50% of Cumberland 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: 37.99 in, 7.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.79 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 14.2% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
38 flood losses since 2016, $408,771 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 19. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 12% basements, 4% slabs, 12% crawl spaces, 73% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 39 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.79 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.99 in (-7.80) |
| 2025 | 39.01 in (-6.78) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 61.25 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 25.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MILLVILLE MUNI AP (4 mi away) | 12.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 57,282 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $221,400 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem County, NJ | 21 mi | 2% | 54% |
| Cape May County, NJ | 22 mi | 0% | 67% |
| Kent County, DE | 26 mi | 0% | 77% |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 27 mi | 2% | 34% |
| Atlantic County, NJ | 28 mi | 0% | 60% |
| New Castle County, DE | 33 mi | 2% | 34% |
| Camden County, NJ | 34 mi | under 1% | 44% |
| Delaware County, PA | 43 mi | under 1% | 22% |
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