Ulster County, New York
A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Ulster County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% 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 41 flood losses here since 2016, 57% of them in buildings with basements. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Ulster County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 36.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 743,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Arnot | 14% | n/a |
| Oquaga | 8% | n/a |
| Bath | 5% | n/a |
| Lordstown | 5% | n/a |
| Lackawanna | 4% | n/a |
| Nassau | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NY111 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 36% of Ulster 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: 40.38 in, 10.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.80 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 40.9% of its area, on the June 30, 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
41 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 7. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 57% basements, 17% slabs, 17% crawl spaces, 10% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.80 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.38 in (-10.42) |
| 2025 | 46.52 in (-4.28) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 74.60 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 31.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOHONK LAKE (14 mi away) | 15 |
Homes
| Housing units | 86,503 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $352,500 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County, NY | 24 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Dutchess County, NY | 30 mi | under 1% | 20% |
| Sullivan County, NY | 30 mi | under 1% | 52% |
| Orange County, NY | 38 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Columbia County, NY | 39 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Delaware County, NY | 40 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Putnam County, NY | 45 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Schoharie County, NY | 45 mi | 3% | 46% |
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