Schuyler County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 62% of Schuyler County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Schuyler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 62.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.2% |
| Mapped soil | 221,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Volusia | 15% | over 99% |
| Mardin | 14% | n/a |
| Lordstown | 7% | n/a |
| Valois | 6% | n/a |
| Erie | 4% | n/a |
| Howard | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY097 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 62% of Schuyler 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: 34.43 in, 2.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.58 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 11.7% 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 | 47.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $302,418 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.43 in (-2.15) |
| 2025 | 32.26 in (-4.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1972: 48.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 23.10 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CORNING (21 mi away) | 6.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,752 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,800 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yates County, NY | 17 mi | 1% | 83% |
| Chemung County, NY | 21 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Tompkins County, NY | 24 mi | under 1% | 70% |
| Steuben County, NY | 25 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Seneca County, NY | 26 mi | 11% | 57% |
| Ontario County, NY | 35 mi | 11% | 59% |
| Tioga County, NY | 37 mi | 0% | 56% |
| Cayuga County, NY | 45 mi | 3% | 56% |
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