Orange County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Orange County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% 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 175 flood losses here since 2016, 53% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Orange County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 537,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mardin | 21% | n/a |
| Erie | 8% | n/a |
| Hollis | 7% | n/a |
| Swartswood | 4% | n/a |
| Bath | 4% | n/a |
| Nassau | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY071 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Orange 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: 37.74 in, 8.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.65 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.6% of its area, on the June 23, 2026 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
175 flood losses since 2016, $3.1 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 62. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 53% basements, 19% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 22% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 13 |
| 2021 | 62 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 53 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.74 in (-8.91) |
| 2025 | 39.11 in (-7.54) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 75.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 30.62 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WEST POINT (18 mi away) | 13.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 149,699 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $387,900 |
| Single-family detached | 61% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland County, NY | 23 mi | 0% | 30% |
| Passaic County, NJ | 25 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Sussex County, NJ | 27 mi | 0% | 16% |
| Putnam County, NY | 29 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Sullivan County, NY | 33 mi | under 1% | 52% |
| Bergen County, NJ | 33 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Westchester County, NY | 34 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Ulster County, NY | 38 mi | 2% | 36% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status