Rockland County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Rockland County's mapped land. 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 187 flood losses here since 2016, 50% of them in buildings with basements. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Rockland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 63.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.8% |
| Mapped soil | 127,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wethersfield | 20% | n/a |
| Charlton | 8% | n/a |
| Chatfield | 7% | n/a |
| Cheshire | 3% | n/a |
| Holyoke | 3% | n/a |
| Paxton | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY087 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Rockland 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: 44.01 in, 4.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.34 in.
USDA rates 63% 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 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently 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
187 flood losses since 2016, $6.7 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 106. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 50% basements, 33% slabs, 2% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 106 |
| 2022 | 19 |
| 2023 | 28 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.01 in (-4.33) |
| 2025 | 38.79 in (-9.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 73.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 31.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WEST POINT (17 mi away) | 13.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 108,945 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $596,900 |
| Single-family detached | 57% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bergen County, NJ | 14 mi | 0% | 26% |
| Westchester County, NY | 14 mi | 0% | 33% |
| Passaic County, NJ | 16 mi | 0% | 51% |
| Orange County, NY | 23 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Bronx County, NY | 23 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Putnam County, NY | 24 mi | 0% | 32% |
| New York County, NY | 26 mi | 0% | 2% |
| Essex County, NJ | 28 mi | 0% | 22% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status