Chemung County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Chemung County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US 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 29 flood losses here since 2016. 82% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1955.
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 Chemung County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 262,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Volusia | 25% | over 99% |
| Lordstown | 21% | n/a |
| Mardin | 12% | n/a |
| Arnot | 10% | n/a |
| Howard | 5% | n/a |
| Chippewa | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY015 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Chemung 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: 35.69 in, 1.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.51 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 0.1% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 28, 2025 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
29 flood losses since 2016, $257,577 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 26.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 26 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.51 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.69 in (-1.82) |
| 2025 | 33.80 in (-3.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 52.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 25.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELMIRA (5 mi away) | 7.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 39,252 |
| Median year built | 1955 |
| Built before 1980 | 82% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $141,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schuyler County, NY | 21 mi | 2% | 62% |
| Tioga County, NY | 23 mi | 0% | 56% |
| Tompkins County, NY | 25 mi | under 1% | 70% |
| Bradford County, PA | 28 mi | 0% | 68% |
| Steuben County, NY | 33 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Tioga County, PA | 37 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Yates County, NY | 38 mi | 1% | 83% |
| Seneca County, NY | 44 mi | 11% | 57% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status