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Blair County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Blair County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% 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 122 flood losses here since 2016, 69% of them in buildings with basements. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Blair County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.8% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.4% |
| Mapped soil | 337,568 acres |
How we count · survey areas PA013 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Blair 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: 42.34 in, 0.23 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 42.11 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 17 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 86.8% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the March 10, 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
122 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 58. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 69% basements, 14% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 7% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 58 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.34 in (+0.23) |
| 2025 | 38.85 in (-3.26) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 65.06 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 23.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILLIAMSBURG (6 mi away) | 8.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 55,901 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $161,100 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon County, PA | 18 mi | 2% | 31% |
| Cambria County, PA | 21 mi | 0% | 60% |
| Mifflin County, PA | 35 mi | 3% | 34% |
| Bedford County, PA | 36 mi | 3% | 36% |
| Clearfield County, PA | 36 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Centre County, PA | 37 mi | 4% | 31% |
| Fulton County, PA | 42 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Indiana County, PA | 42 mi | 1% | 37% |
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