Chautauqua County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Chautauqua County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties and the 5th highest of 62 New York 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 43 flood losses here since 2016, 9% of them in buildings with basements. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1953.
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 Chautauqua County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 693,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Busti | 15% | n/a |
| Fremont | 11% | n/a |
| Chautauqua | 11% | n/a |
| Schuyler | 5% | n/a |
| Chenango | 4% | n/a |
| Chadakoin | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY013 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Chautauqua 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: 49.48 in, 4.40 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 45.08 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 3 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 99.1% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 97.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
43 flood losses since 2016, $1.5 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 12. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 9% basements, 41% slabs, 36% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.08 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.48 in (+4.40) |
| 2025 | 43.01 in (-2.07) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1977: 56.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 29.47 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JAMESTOWN 4 ENE (18 mi away) | 7.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 66,476 |
| Median year built | 1953 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $127,900 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County, PA | 33 mi | 0% | 67% |
| Erie County, PA | 38 mi | 0% | 82% |
| Cattaraugus County, NY | 38 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Erie County, NY | 45 mi | 6% | 66% |
| McKean County, PA | 55 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Forest County, PA | 55 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Crawford County, PA | 56 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Venango County, PA | 65 mi | under 1% | 73% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status