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Sussex County, New Jersey

A shallow water table limits basements on 16% of Sussex 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 12 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

16%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

63%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Sussex County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)16.0%
Septic fields very limited83.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)0.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated1.5%
Mapped soil343,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Swartswood8%n/a
Nassau8%n/a
Rockaway7%n/a
Chatfield6%n/a
Manlius6%n/a
Hazen6%n/a
Morris County: 53%Passaic County: 51%Pike County: 64%Warren County: 22%Orange County: 54%Monroe County: 60%Essex County: 22%Bergen County: 26%Sussex County MorrisPassaicPikeWarrenOrangeMonroeEssexBergenSussex
Sussex 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 NJ037 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 16% of Sussex 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: 40.24 in, 7.25 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.49 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 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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

12 flood losses since 2016, $290,540 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20162
20171
20183
20190
20200
20214
20220
20231
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.49 in
12 months to August 202640.24 in (-7.25)
202536.92 in (-10.57)
Wettest year since 18952011: 77.03 in
Driest year since 18951965: 31.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHARLOTTEBURG RSVR (16 mi away)13.7

Homes

Housing units62,865
Median year built1973
Built before 198063%
Built 2000 or later12%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$369,400
Single-family detached78%

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
Morris County, NJ 21 mi 0% 53%
Passaic County, NJ 22 mi 0% 51%
Pike County, PA 22 mi 0% 64%
Warren County, NJ 25 mi 0% 22%
Orange County, NY 27 mi 0% 54%
Monroe County, PA 33 mi 0% 60%
Essex County, NJ 34 mi 0% 22%
Bergen County, NJ 35 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