Essex County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Essex County's mapped land, a higher share than 50% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 23 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Essex County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,225,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Becket | 10% | n/a |
| Tunbridge | 10% | n/a |
| Monadnock | 9% | n/a |
| Lyman | 7% | n/a |
| Rawsonville | 5% | n/a |
| Knob Lock | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY031 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 31% of Essex 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: 43.86 in, 1.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.19 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 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% 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 | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
23 flood losses since 2016, $772,493 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.19 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.86 in (-1.33) |
| 2025 | 41.71 in (-3.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 60.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 31.72 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELIZABETHTOWN (11 mi away) | 8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,484 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $211,900 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addison County, VT | 32 mi | 5% | 53% |
| Warren County, NY | 38 mi | under 1% | 15% |
| Franklin County, NY | 43 mi | 1% | 52% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 43 mi | 3% | 39% |
| Clinton County, NY | 45 mi | 3% | 51% |
| Hamilton County, NY | 48 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Rutland County, VT | 50 mi | 2% | 37% |
| Grand Isle County, VT | 53 mi | 21% | 65% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status