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Schenectady County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Schenectady County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.
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 Schenectady County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 134,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Burdett | 11% | n/a |
| Nunda | 8% | n/a |
| Scriba | 7% | n/a |
| Colonie | 6% | n/a |
| Ilion | 5% | n/a |
| Tuller | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY093 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 51% of Schenectady 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: 41.50 in, 0.28 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.22 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 0.4% 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 | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
18 flood losses since 2016, $579,593 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.50 in (+0.28) |
| 2025 | 40.36 in (-0.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 56.33 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 24.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALBANY AP (13 mi away) | 7.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 71,244 |
| Median year built | 1956 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $235,700 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
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 | 16 mi | under 1% | 51% |
| Montgomery County, NY | 20 mi | 3% | 48% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 22 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Schoharie County, NY | 25 mi | 3% | 46% |
| Rensselaer County, NY | 28 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Fulton County, NY | 28 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Greene County, NY | 37 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Columbia County, NY | 45 mi | 1% | 28% |
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