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Hudson County, New Jersey
A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Hudson County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US 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 848 flood losses here since 2016, 68% of them in buildings with basements. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Hudson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 47.6% |
| Mapped soil | 39,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Greenbelt | 5% | n/a |
| Westbrook | 4% | n/a |
| Laguardia | 4% | n/a |
| Secaucus | 2% | n/a |
| Parsippany | 1% | n/a |
| Whippany | 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NJ017 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 32% of Hudson 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: 43.72 in, 3.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.30 in.
USDA rates 65% 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 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
848 flood losses since 2016, $17.0 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 645. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 68% basements, 15% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 28 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 44 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 35 |
| 2021 | 645 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 21 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 to date | 18 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.30 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.72 in (-3.58) |
| 2025 | 37.60 in (-9.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 69.59 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 29.11 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HARRISON (4 mi away) | 15.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 320,959 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 31% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $539,700 |
| Single-family detached | 9% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York County, NY | 6 mi | 0% | 2% |
| Kings County, NY | 9 mi | 0% | 17% |
| Essex County, NJ | 10 mi | 0% | 22% |
| Richmond County, NY | 12 mi | 0% | 22% |
| Union County, NJ | 13 mi | 0% | 42% |
| Queens County, NY | 14 mi | 0% | 15% |
| Bronx County, NY | 14 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Bergen County, NJ | 16 mi | 0% | 26% |
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