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New York soil by county

Across New York's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3% and a shallow water table limits basements on 49%.

Highest clay shares: Livingston County (24%), Jefferson County (15%), Niagara County (14%), Washington County (12%), Ontario County (11%). Highest water-table shares: Yates County (83%), Allegany County (80%), Livingston County (78%), Orleans County (77%), Chautauqua County (75%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 62 counties

Albany County: 0%Allegany County: 0%Bronx County: 0%Broome County: 0%Cattaraugus County: 0%Cayuga County: 3%Chautauqua County: 0%Chemung County: 0%Chenango County: 0%Clinton County: 3%Columbia County: 1%Cortland County: 0%Delaware County: 0%Dutchess County: 0%Erie County: 6%Essex County: 3%Franklin County: 1%Fulton County: 0%Genesee County: 4%Greene County: 1%Hamilton County: 0%Herkimer County: 0%Jefferson County: 15%Kings County: 0%Lewis County: 0%Livingston County: 24%Madison County: 2%Monroe County: 6%Montgomery County: 3%Nassau County: 0%New York County: 0%Niagara County: 14%Oneida County: 0%Onondaga County: 1%Ontario County: 11%Orange County: 0%Orleans County: 5%Oswego County: 1%Otsego County: 0%Putnam County: 0%Queens County: 0%Rensselaer County: 0%Richmond County: 0%Rockland County: 0%Saratoga County: 0%Schenectady County: 1%Schoharie County: 3%Schuyler County: 2%Seneca County: 11%St. Lawrence County: 11%Steuben County: 0%Suffolk County: 0%Sullivan County: 0%Tioga County: 0%Tompkins County: 0%Ulster County: 2%Warren County: 0%Washington County: 12%Wayne County: 1%Westchester County: 0%Wyoming County: 0%Yates County: 1%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Albany County: 51%Allegany County: 80%Bronx County: 9%Broome County: 69%Cattaraugus County: 65%Cayuga County: 56%Chautauqua County: 75%Chemung County: 49%Chenango County: 62%Clinton County: 51%Columbia County: 28%Cortland County: 62%Delaware County: 49%Dutchess County: 20%Erie County: 66%Essex County: 31%Franklin County: 52%Fulton County: 47%Genesee County: 63%Greene County: 35%Hamilton County: 41%Herkimer County: 45%Jefferson County: 47%Kings County: 17%Lewis County: 50%Livingston County: 78%Madison County: 57%Monroe County: 55%Montgomery County: 48%Nassau County: 18%New York County: 2%Niagara County: 75%Oneida County: 53%Onondaga County: 46%Ontario County: 59%Orange County: 54%Orleans County: 77%Oswego County: 59%Otsego County: 49%Putnam County: 32%Queens County: 15%Rensselaer County: 49%Richmond County: 22%Rockland County: 30%Saratoga County: 37%Schenectady County: 51%Schoharie County: 46%Schuyler County: 62%Seneca County: 57%St. Lawrence County: 49%Steuben County: 63%Suffolk County: 9%Sullivan County: 52%Tioga County: 56%Tompkins County: 70%Ulster County: 36%Warren County: 15%Washington County: 34%Wayne County: 56%Westchester County: 33%Wyoming County: 72%Yates County: 83%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in New York

Select a column heading to sort.
Albany County under 1% 51% 0% 49 1964
Allegany County 0% 80% 0% 4 1966
Bronx County 0% 9% 0% 324 1955
Broome County 0% 69% 0% 109 1958
Cattaraugus County 0% 65% 0% 11 1960
Cayuga County 3% 56% 0% 50 1958
Chautauqua County 0% 75% 0% 43 1953
Chemung County 0% 49% 0% 29 1955
Chenango County 0% 62% 0% 17 1967
Clinton County 3% 51% 0% 6 1974
Columbia County 1% 28% 0% 16 1966
Cortland County 0% 62% 0% 13 1961
Delaware County 0% 49% 0% 27 1972
Dutchess County under 1% 20% 0% 141 1971
Erie County 6% 66% 0% 127 1957
Essex County 3% 31% 0% 23 1969
Franklin County 1% 52% 0% 3 1967
Fulton County 0% 47% 0% 15 1954
Genesee County 4% 63% 0% 27 1956
Greene County 1% 35% 0% 31 1972
Hamilton County 0% 41% 0% 13 1969
Herkimer County under 1% 45% 0% 51 1954
Jefferson County 15% 47% 0% 92 1972
Kings County 0% 17% 0% 733 1944
Lewis County under 1% 50% 0% 4 1972
Livingston County 24% 78% 0% 17 1970
Madison County 2% 57% 0% 42 1964
Monroe County 6% 55% 0% 200 1965
Montgomery County 3% 48% 0% 11 1944
Nassau County 0% 18% 0% 2,176 1955
New York County 0% 2% 0% 188 1951
Niagara County 14% 75% 0% 49 1958
Oneida County under 1% 53% 0% 306 1958
Onondaga County 1% 46% 0% 112 1964
Ontario County 11% 59% 0% 63 1976
Orange County 0% 54% 0% 175 1975
Orleans County 5% 77% 0% 13 1955
Oswego County 1% 59% 0% 52 1971
Otsego County 0% 49% 0% 15 1954
Putnam County 0% 32% 0% 50 1968
Queens County 0% 15% 0% 1,329 1953
Rensselaer County 0% 49% 0% 59 1962
Richmond County 0% 22% 0% 476 1974
Rockland County 0% 30% 0% 187 1971
Saratoga County 0% 37% 0% 20 1984
Schenectady County 1% 51% 0% 18 1956
Schoharie County 3% 46% 0% 3 1974
Schuyler County 2% 62% 0% 5 1969
Seneca County 11% 57% 0% 28 1959
St. Lawrence County 11% 49% 0% 19 1964
Steuben County 0% 63% 0% 45 1963
Suffolk County 0% 9% 0% 1,430 1970
Sullivan County under 1% 52% 0% 39 1974
Tioga County 0% 56% 0% 59 1969
Tompkins County under 1% 70% 0% 19 1974
Ulster County 2% 36% 0% 41 1966
Warren County under 1% 15% 0% 18 1973
Washington County 12% 34% 0% 4 1963
Wayne County 1% 56% 0% 110 1968
Westchester County 0% 33% 0% 2,789 1959
Wyoming County 0% 72% 0% 17 1960
Yates County 1% 83% 0% 11 1969

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.