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Westchester County, New York

A shallow water table limits basements on 33% of Westchester County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% 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 2,789 flood losses here since 2016, 69% of them in buildings with basements. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

33%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

76%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Westchester County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)33.2%
Septic fields very limited61.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)0.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated8.8%
Mapped soil308,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Charlton20%n/a
Chatfield11%n/a
Paxton11%n/a
Woodbridge4%n/a
Hollis4%n/a
Leicester4%n/a
Rockland County: 30%Western Connecticut Planning Region: 35%Putnam County: 32%Bergen County: 26%Bronx County: 9%Greater Bridgeport Planning Region: 23%New York County: 2%Passaic County: 51%Westchester County RocklandWestern ConnecticutPutnamBergenBronxGreater BridgeportNew YorkPassaicWestchester
Westchester County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NY119 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 33% of Westchester 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: 43.76 in, 4.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.24 in.

USDA rates 61% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2,789 flood losses since 2016, $130.6 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1,829. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 69% basements, 13% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20 in.

YearFlood losses
20168
201718
2018150
201922
202012
20211,829
202231
2023588
202447
202569
2026 to date15

Rain

Average year, 1991-202048.24 in
12 months to August 202643.76 in (-4.48)
202538.77 in (-9.47)
Wettest year since 18952011: 71.81 in
Driest year since 18951965: 31.53 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WESTCHESTER CO AP (6 mi away)12.6

Homes

Housing units394,358
Median year built1959
Built before 198076%
Built 2000 or later11%
Owner-occupied62%
Median value, owner-occupied$663,200
Single-family detached43%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Rockland County, NY 14 mi 0% 30%
Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 18 mi 0% 35%
Putnam County, NY 19 mi 0% 32%
Bergen County, NJ 22 mi 0% 26%
Bronx County, NY 22 mi 0% 9%
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 28 mi 0% 23%
New York County, NY 29 mi 0% 2%
Passaic County, NJ 30 mi 0% 51%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status