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Cumberland County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Cumberland County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 42 flood losses here since 2016, 59% of them in buildings with basements. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

23%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

53%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cumberland County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.4%
High water table (limits basements)22.9%
Septic fields very limited64.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.4%
Mapped soil349,907 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Hagerstown18%n/a
Berks12%under 1%
Hazleton7%0%
Weikert6%under 1%
Duffield6%n/a
Laidig5%n/a
Perry County: 29%Adams County: 45%Juniata County: 33%Franklin County: 32%Dauphin County: 21%York County: 20%Mifflin County: 34%Huntingdon County: 31%Cumberland County PerryAdamsJuniataFranklinDauphinYorkMifflinHuntingdonCumberland
Cumberland 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 PA041 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 23% of Cumberland 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: 37.37 in, 6.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.34 in.

USDA rates 65% 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 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

42 flood losses since 2016, $534,030 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 17. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 59% basements, 14% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 21% elevated.

YearFlood losses
20161
20172
201817
20191
20204
20213
20220
20230
20249
20254
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.34 in
12 months to August 202637.37 in (-6.97)
202539.21 in (-5.13)
Wettest year since 18952018: 67.23 in
Driest year since 18951930: 23.99 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PINE GROVE FURNACE (9 mi away)12.3

Homes

Housing units111,278
Median year built1978
Built before 198053%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$277,600
Single-family detached60%

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
Perry County, PA 16 mi under 1% 29%
Adams County, PA 21 mi under 1% 45%
Juniata County, PA 26 mi 1% 33%
Franklin County, PA 29 mi 4% 32%
Dauphin County, PA 30 mi under 1% 21%
York County, PA 33 mi under 1% 20%
Mifflin County, PA 36 mi 3% 34%
Huntingdon County, PA 41 mi 2% 31%

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