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Bradford County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Bradford County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties and the 6th highest of 67 Pennsylvania 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 109 flood losses here since 2016, 50% of them in buildings with basements. 65% 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 Bradford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 67.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 739,080 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Volusia | 27% | over 99% |
| Morris | 12% | n/a |
| Mardin | 10% | n/a |
| Oquaga | 9% | n/a |
| Wellsboro | 9% | n/a |
| Lordstown | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA610 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 68% of Bradford 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: 36.47 in, 3.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.18 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 65% 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
109 flood losses since 2016, $3.1 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 72. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 50% basements, 25% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 20% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 25 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 23 |
| 2018 | 72 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.18 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.47 in (-3.71) |
| 2025 | 34.86 in (-5.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 58.94 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 27.88 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TOWANDA 1 S (4 mi away) | 7.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 29,486 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $187,500 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County, PA | 24 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Chemung County, NY | 28 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Tioga County, NY | 29 mi | 0% | 56% |
| Wyoming County, PA | 31 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 36 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Tioga County, PA | 39 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 42 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Broome County, NY | 43 mi | 0% | 69% |
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