Franklin County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of Franklin County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,071,826 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Becket | 11% | n/a |
| Monadnock | 7% | n/a |
| Adams | 6% | n/a |
| Skerry | 6% | n/a |
| Tunbridge | 6% | n/a |
| Adirondack | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY033 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 52% of Franklin 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: 45.32 in, 2.41 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 42.91 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 3 weeks, most recently on the November 11, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 36.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $32,198 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.91 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.32 in (+2.41) |
| 2025 | 39.21 in (-3.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1954: 52.68 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 28.31 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MALONE (17 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,494 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $145,400 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton County, NY | 32 mi | 3% | 51% |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 38 mi | 11% | 49% |
| Essex County, NY | 43 mi | 3% | 31% |
| Grand Isle County, VT | 52 mi | 21% | 65% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 62 mi | 3% | 39% |
| Hamilton County, NY | 65 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Addison County, VT | 70 mi | 5% | 53% |
| Franklin County, VT | 71 mi | 1% | 52% |
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