HomePennsylvaniaCentre County

Centre County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Centre County's mapped land, a higher share than 50% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 40 flood losses here since 2016, 62% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

31%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

50%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Centre County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.7%
High water table (limits basements)30.8%
Septic fields very limited82.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.5%
Mapped soil711,770 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Hazleton14%0%
Laidig10%n/a
Hagerstown7%n/a
Berks5%under 1%
Buchanan5%n/a
Clymer5%n/a
Mifflin County: 34%Clinton County: 35%Clearfield County: 37%Huntingdon County: 31%Juniata County: 33%Blair County: 42%Cameron County: 24%Union County: 38%Centre County MifflinClintonClearfieldHuntingdonJuniataBlairCameronUnionCentre
Centre 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 PA027 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 31% of Centre 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: 42.06 in, 1.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.48 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 90.1% of its area, on the February 17, 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

40 flood losses since 2016, $341,975 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 17. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 62% basements, 29% slabs, 10% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.

YearFlood losses
201616
20171
201817
20190
20201
20211
20220
20230
20242
20250
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202043.48 in
12 months to August 202642.06 in (-1.42)
202540.29 in (-3.19)
Wettest year since 18952018: 65.46 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.14 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STATE COLLEGE (8 mi away)8.7

Homes

Housing units66,475
Median year built1980
Built before 198050%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied62%
Median value, owner-occupied$323,500
Single-family detached57%

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
Mifflin County, PA 24 mi 3% 34%
Clinton County, PA 25 mi 1% 35%
Clearfield County, PA 33 mi 0% 37%
Huntingdon County, PA 34 mi 2% 31%
Juniata County, PA 35 mi 1% 33%
Blair County, PA 37 mi 2% 42%
Cameron County, PA 41 mi 0% 24%
Union County, PA 42 mi 1% 38%

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