Rensselaer County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Rensselaer 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 59 flood losses here since 2016, 69% of them in buildings with basements. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Rensselaer County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 425,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bernardston | 13% | n/a |
| Buckland | 12% | n/a |
| Pittstown | 7% | n/a |
| Nassau | 7% | n/a |
| Hoosic | 6% | n/a |
| Glover | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY083 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Rensselaer 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: 40.49 in, 2.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.44 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 35.3% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 14, 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
59 flood losses since 2016, $1.4 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 15. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 69% basements, 21% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 6% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 15 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.49 in (-2.95) |
| 2025 | 41.65 in (-1.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 56.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 26.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TROY L&D (9 mi away) | 9.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 74,543 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $258,400 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany County, NY | 25 mi | under 1% | 51% |
| Berkshire County, MA | 28 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Schenectady County, NY | 28 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Bennington County, VT | 30 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 32 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Columbia County, NY | 32 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Washington County, NY | 42 mi | 12% | 34% |
| Greene County, NY | 44 mi | 1% | 35% |
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