Niagara County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Niagara County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties and the 6th highest of 62 New York counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 49 flood losses here since 2016, 68% of them in buildings with basements. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Niagara County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 74.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.7% |
| Mapped soil | 325,849 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Appleton | 8% | n/a |
| Hilton | 7% | n/a |
| Odessa | 7% | n/a |
| Rhinebeck | 7% | n/a |
| Ovid | 6% | n/a |
| Lakemont | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY664 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Niagara 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: 45.50 in, 10.38 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 35.12 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the November 11, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 11.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
49 flood losses since 2016, $502,091 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 19. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 68% basements, 28% slabs, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 6.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.12 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.50 in (+10.38) |
| 2025 | 29.90 in (-5.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2017: 42.95 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 20.71 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at N TONAWANDA (15 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 100,446 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $189,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans County, NY | 31 mi | 5% | 77% |
| Erie County, NY | 36 mi | 6% | 66% |
| Genesee County, NY | 36 mi | 4% | 63% |
| Wyoming County, NY | 49 mi | 0% | 72% |
| Monroe County, NY | 56 mi | 6% | 55% |
| Livingston County, NY | 64 mi | 24% | 78% |
| Cattaraugus County, NY | 72 mi | 0% | 65% |
| Chautauqua County, NY | 73 mi | 0% | 75% |
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