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Salem County, New Jersey
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Salem County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties and the 5th highest of 21 New Jersey counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 70 flood losses here since 2016, 37% of them in buildings with basements. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Salem County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.5% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 223,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Downer | 6% | n/a |
| Othello | 6% | n/a |
| Aura | 5% | n/a |
| Transquaking | 5% | n/a |
| Alloway | 5% | n/a |
| Mattapex | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NJ033 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Salem 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: 38.53 in, 7.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.73 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 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
70 flood losses since 2016, $2.0 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 26. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 37% basements, 44% slabs, 17% crawl spaces, 2% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 26 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.73 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.53 in (-7.20) |
| 2025 | 39.04 in (-6.69) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 62.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 26.17 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEABROOK FARMS (9 mi away) | 12.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 27,732 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $239,500 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester County, NJ | 15 mi | 2% | 34% |
| New Castle County, DE | 15 mi | 2% | 34% |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 21 mi | 0% | 50% |
| Delaware County, PA | 24 mi | under 1% | 22% |
| Camden County, NJ | 26 mi | under 1% | 44% |
| Cecil County, MD | 31 mi | 2% | 38% |
| Philadelphia County, PA | 32 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Kent County, DE | 34 mi | 0% | 77% |
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