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Passaic County, New Jersey

A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Passaic County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties and the 8th 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 1,010 flood losses here since 2016, 53% of them in buildings with basements. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

51%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

77%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Passaic County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)50.9%
Septic fields very limited83.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated14.1%
Mapped soil126,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rockaway21%n/a
Swartswood8%n/a
Boonton6%n/a
Hibernia5%n/a
Riverhead5%n/a
Ridgebury3%n/a
Bergen County: 26%Rockland County: 30%Essex County: 22%Morris County: 53%Sussex County: 16%Hudson County: 32%New York County: 2%Orange County: 54%Passaic County BergenRocklandEssexMorrisSussexHudsonNew YorkOrangePassaic
Passaic 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 NJ031 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 51% of Passaic 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: 42.87 in, 5.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.60 in.

USDA rates 83% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 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

1,010 flood losses since 2016, $39.9 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 518. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 53% basements, 24% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 16% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19 in.

YearFlood losses
201610
20174
2018116
20196
20209
2021518
202212
2023234
202495
20252
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.60 in
12 months to August 202642.87 in (-5.73)
202536.26 in (-12.34)
Wettest year since 18952011: 76.39 in
Driest year since 18951965: 31.93 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHARLOTTEBURG RSVR (7 mi away)13.7

Homes

Housing units185,816
Median year built1956
Built before 198077%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied53%
Median value, owner-occupied$459,500
Single-family detached42%

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
Bergen County, NJ 13 mi 0% 26%
Rockland County, NY 16 mi 0% 30%
Essex County, NJ 17 mi 0% 22%
Morris County, NJ 18 mi 0% 53%
Sussex County, NJ 22 mi 0% 16%
Hudson County, NJ 24 mi 0% 32%
New York County, NY 25 mi 0% 2%
Orange County, NY 25 mi 0% 54%

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