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Essex County, New Jersey
A shallow water table limits basements on 22% of Essex County's mapped land. 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 1,189 flood losses here since 2016, 72% of them in buildings with basements. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Essex County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 37.4% |
| Mapped soil | 83,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Boonton | 25% | n/a |
| Haledon | 3% | n/a |
| Dunellen | 3% | n/a |
| Parsippany | 2% | n/a |
| Great Piece | 2% | n/a |
| Pompton | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NJ013 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 22% of Essex 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: 45.24 in, 3.34 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.58 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1,189 flood losses since 2016, $52.3 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 878. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 72% basements, 16% slabs, 2% crawl spaces, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 75 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 13 |
| 2021 | 878 |
| 2022 | 17 |
| 2023 | 78 |
| 2024 | 90 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 10 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.24 in (-3.34) |
| 2025 | 38.86 in (-9.72) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 70.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 30.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HARRISON (6 mi away) | 15.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 336,962 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 45% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $524,100 |
| Single-family detached | 33% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, NJ | 9 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Hudson County, NJ | 10 mi | 0% | 32% |
| New York County, NY | 14 mi | 0% | 2% |
| Bergen County, NJ | 15 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Morris County, NJ | 16 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Richmond County, NY | 17 mi | 0% | 22% |
| Passaic County, NJ | 17 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Kings County, NY | 19 mi | 0% | 17% |
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