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Morris County, New Jersey

A shallow water table limits basements on 53% of Morris County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties and the 6th 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 445 flood losses here since 2016, 57% of them in buildings with basements. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

53%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

62%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Morris County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)53.4%
Septic fields very limited82.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated6.9%
Mapped soil304,100 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rockaway16%n/a
Parker10%n/a
Gladstone9%n/a
Califon4%n/a
Hibernia4%n/a
Riverhead4%n/a
Essex County: 22%Passaic County: 51%Union County: 42%Sussex County: 16%Somerset County: 44%Warren County: 22%Bergen County: 26%Hudson County: 32%Morris County EssexPassaicUnionSussexSomersetWarrenBergenHudsonMorris
Morris 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 NJ027 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 53% of Morris 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: 44.66 in, 5.32 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.98 in.

USDA rates 82% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 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

445 flood losses since 2016, $8.7 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 175. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 57% basements, 23% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 12% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.

YearFlood losses
20163
20172
20189
20195
202012
2021175
20225
2023161
202463
20256
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.98 in
12 months to August 202644.66 in (-5.32)
202539.35 in (-10.63)
Wettest year since 18952011: 70.17 in
Driest year since 18951965: 32.01 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CANOE BROOK (13 mi away)13.7

Homes

Housing units199,506
Median year built1971
Built before 198062%
Built 2000 or later14%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$582,500
Single-family detached65%

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
Essex County, NJ 16 mi 0% 22%
Passaic County, NJ 18 mi 0% 51%
Union County, NJ 19 mi 0% 42%
Sussex County, NJ 21 mi 0% 16%
Somerset County, NJ 21 mi 0% 44%
Warren County, NJ 24 mi 0% 22%
Bergen County, NJ 26 mi 0% 26%
Hudson County, NJ 26 mi 0% 32%

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