Schoharie County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 46% of Schoharie County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Schoharie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 46.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.3% |
| Mapped soil | 400,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lordstown | 17% | n/a |
| Oquaga | 8% | n/a |
| Mardin | 7% | n/a |
| Volusia | 5% | over 99% |
| Honeoye | 4% | n/a |
| Wellsboro | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY095 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 46% of Schoharie 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: 41.26 in, 0.55 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.81 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 2.2% 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
3 flood losses since 2016, $21,844 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.26 in (-0.55) |
| 2025 | 40.81 in (-1.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 58.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 27.22 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COBLESKILL 2 ESE (5 mi away) | 7.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,562 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $192,500 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, NY | 21 mi | 3% | 48% |
| Albany County, NY | 24 mi | under 1% | 51% |
| Schenectady County, NY | 25 mi | 1% | 51% |
| Greene County, NY | 26 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Otsego County, NY | 30 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Fulton County, NY | 36 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Delaware County, NY | 38 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Ulster County, NY | 45 mi | 2% | 36% |
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