Tioga County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 56% of Tioga County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% 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. 66% 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 Tioga County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 56.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 333,348 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Volusia | 28% | over 99% |
| Lordstown | 24% | n/a |
| Mardin | 18% | n/a |
| Chippewa | 3% | n/a |
| Howard | 3% | n/a |
| Valois | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY107 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 56% of Tioga 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: 39.66 in, 1.03 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.69 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 2.4% of its area, on the October 21, 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, $837,046 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 37. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 69% basements, 8% slabs, 14% crawl spaces, 8% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.66 in (-1.03) |
| 2025 | 37.54 in (-3.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 59.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1965: 28.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CANDOR 2SE (1 mi away) | 7.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 22,104 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tompkins County, NY | 21 mi | under 1% | 70% |
| Chemung County, NY | 23 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Broome County, NY | 24 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Bradford County, PA | 29 mi | 0% | 68% |
| Cortland County, NY | 31 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 36 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Schuyler County, NY | 37 mi | 2% | 62% |
| Chenango County, NY | 41 mi | 0% | 62% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status