Hamilton County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Hamilton County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% 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 13 flood losses here since 2016. 64% 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 Hamilton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 1,157,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Becket | 14% | n/a |
| Tunbridge | 13% | n/a |
| Rawsonville | 8% | n/a |
| Skerry | 8% | n/a |
| Hogback | 6% | n/a |
| Lyman | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY041 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 41% of Hamilton 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: 43.02 in, 6.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.38 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the October 28, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 86.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $362,537 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.02 in (-6.36) |
| 2025 | 45.72 in (-3.66) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 62.52 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 36.50 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INDIAN LAKE 2SW (13 mi away) | 8.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,911 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $260,200 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herkimer County, NY | 18 mi | under 1% | 45% |
| Warren County, NY | 34 mi | under 1% | 15% |
| Fulton County, NY | 38 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Essex County, NY | 48 mi | 3% | 31% |
| Lewis County, NY | 48 mi | under 1% | 50% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 50 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Montgomery County, NY | 53 mi | 3% | 48% |
| Oneida County, NY | 55 mi | under 1% | 53% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status