Otsego County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Otsego County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% 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 15 flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1954.
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 Otsego County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 649,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mardin | 10% | n/a |
| Lordstown | 7% | n/a |
| Mongaup | 6% | n/a |
| Bath | 6% | n/a |
| Volusia | 5% | over 99% |
| Chenango | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY077 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Otsego 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: 44.04 in, 1.94 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.98 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 43.3% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 28, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 2.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $121,860 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.04 in (-1.94) |
| 2025 | 44.65 in (-1.33) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 62.71 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 31.28 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COOPERSTOWN (8 mi away) | 9.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 30,057 |
| Median year built | 1954 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $179,100 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schoharie County, NY | 30 mi | 3% | 46% |
| Delaware County, NY | 30 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Chenango County, NY | 31 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Montgomery County, NY | 35 mi | 3% | 48% |
| Madison County, NY | 38 mi | 2% | 57% |
| Fulton County, NY | 45 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Oneida County, NY | 47 mi | under 1% | 53% |
| Greene County, NY | 51 mi | 1% | 35% |
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