Orleans County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Orleans County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties and the 4th highest of 62 New York counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
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. 72% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1955.
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 Orleans County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.0% |
| Mapped soil | 250,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton | 15% | n/a |
| Appleton | 9% | n/a |
| Ovid | 5% | n/a |
| Collamer | 4% | n/a |
| Lockport | 3% | n/a |
| Niagara | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY073 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 77% of Orleans 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: 44.47 in, 9.66 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 34.81 in.
USDA rates 81% 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, in 4 weeks, most recently on the November 11, 2025 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
13 flood losses since 2016, $107,678 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.47 in (+9.66) |
| 2025 | 30.32 in (-4.49) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1996: 43.01 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 23.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALBION (5 mi away) | 5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,326 |
| Median year built | 1955 |
| Built before 1980 | 72% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $140,800 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee County, NY | 23 mi | 4% | 63% |
| Monroe County, NY | 26 mi | 6% | 55% |
| Niagara County, NY | 31 mi | 14% | 75% |
| Wyoming County, NY | 44 mi | 0% | 72% |
| Livingston County, NY | 47 mi | 24% | 78% |
| Erie County, NY | 50 mi | 6% | 66% |
| Ontario County, NY | 57 mi | 11% | 59% |
| Wayne County, NY | 59 mi | 1% | 56% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status