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Columbia County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Columbia County's mapped land. 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 150 flood losses here since 2016, 75% of them in buildings with basements. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Columbia County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 313,549 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Weikert | 16% | under 1% |
| Dekalb | 8% | n/a |
| Leck Kill | 8% | n/a |
| Klinesville | 5% | n/a |
| Lordstown | 3% | n/a |
| Watson | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA037 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Columbia 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: 37.23 in, 8.34 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.57 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 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
150 flood losses since 2016, $3.9 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 138. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 75% basements, 6% slabs, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 138 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.57 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.23 in (-8.34) |
| 2025 | 38.58 in (-6.99) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 74.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1980: 28.81 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SHICKSHINNY 3 N (16 mi away) | 11.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 29,824 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $206,200 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montour County, PA | 14 mi | 1% | 36% |
| Northumberland County, PA | 21 mi | under 1% | 27% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 24 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 25 mi | 0% | 30% |
| Sullivan County, PA | 28 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Union County, PA | 35 mi | 1% | 38% |
| Carbon County, PA | 37 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Wyoming County, PA | 39 mi | 0% | 58% |
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