HomePennsylvaniaBedford County

Bedford County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Bedford County's mapped land, a higher share than 54% 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 98 flood losses here since 2016, 34% of them in buildings with basements. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

36%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

62%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Bedford County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.7%
High water table (limits basements)35.8%
Septic fields very limited91.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.5%
Mapped soil651,213 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Berks12%under 1%
Weikert9%under 1%
Buchanan7%n/a
Calvin7%n/a
Meckesville5%n/a
Laidig4%n/a
Fulton County: 30%Somerset County: 39%Allegany County: 21%Morgan County: 23%Blair County: 42%Cambria County: 60%Huntingdon County: 31%Franklin County: 32%Bedford County FultonSomersetAlleganyMorganBlairCambriaHuntingdonFranklinBedford
Bedford 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 PA009 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 36% of Bedford 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: 35.45 in, 5.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.81 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 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the March 10, 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

98 flood losses since 2016, $2.2 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 63. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 34% basements, 11% slabs, 16% crawl spaces, 39% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 36 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201831
20190
20201
202163
20220
20230
20242
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202040.81 in
12 months to August 202635.45 in (-5.36)
202536.08 in (-4.73)
Wettest year since 18952018: 63.80 in
Driest year since 18951930: 20.97 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WOLFSBURG (3 mi away)7.9

Homes

Housing units23,567
Median year built1971
Built before 198062%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$179,000
Single-family detached73%

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
Fulton County, PA 21 mi 1% 30%
Somerset County, PA 28 mi 0% 39%
Allegany County, MD 29 mi 2% 21%
Morgan County, WV 33 mi under 1% 23%
Blair County, PA 36 mi 2% 42%
Cambria County, PA 37 mi 0% 60%
Huntingdon County, PA 40 mi 2% 31%
Franklin County, PA 41 mi 4% 32%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status