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Clarion County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Clarion County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

50%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

70%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Clarion County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.2%
High water table (limits basements)50.1%
Septic fields very limited97.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.2%
Mapped soil389,830 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin11%under 1%
Bethesda10%n/a
Cookport10%n/a
Cavode10%n/a
Hazleton9%0%
Ernest7%n/a
Jefferson County: 42%Venango County: 73%Forest County: 59%Armstrong County: 33%Butler County: 53%Indiana County: 37%Elk County: 52%Mercer County: 87%Clarion County JeffersonVenangoForestArmstrongButlerIndianaElkMercerClarion
Clarion 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 PA031 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 50% of Clarion 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: 45.91 in, 0.27 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 45.64 in.

USDA rates 98% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 97.2% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 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

9 flood losses since 2016, $432,672 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 6.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20196
20200
20210
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.64 in
12 months to August 202645.91 in (+0.27)
202542.42 in (-3.22)
Wettest year since 18952018: 57.30 in
Driest year since 18951930: 31.30 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TIONESTA 2 SE LAKE (19 mi away)8.9

Homes

Housing units18,856
Median year built1967
Built before 198070%
Built 2000 or later12%
Owner-occupied73%
Median value, owner-occupied$155,700
Single-family detached76%

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
Jefferson County, PA 22 mi under 1% 42%
Venango County, PA 23 mi under 1% 73%
Forest County, PA 23 mi 0% 59%
Armstrong County, PA 27 mi 1% 33%
Butler County, PA 33 mi 1% 53%
Indiana County, PA 42 mi 1% 37%
Elk County, PA 43 mi 0% 52%
Mercer County, PA 44 mi 0% 87%

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