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Erie County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 82% of Erie County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties and the 3rd 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 74 flood losses here since 2016, 36% of them in buildings with basements. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Erie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 82.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 3.2% |
| Mapped soil | 518,496 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Venango | 26% | n/a |
| Mill | 10% | n/a |
| Platea | 6% | n/a |
| Mardin | 6% | n/a |
| Pompton | 5% | n/a |
| Red Hook | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA049 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 82% of Erie 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: 48.93 in, 2.57 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 46.36 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 60.8% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 99.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
74 flood losses since 2016, $1.6 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 22. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 36% basements, 26% slabs, 19% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 16 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.93 in (+2.57) |
| 2025 | 43.97 in (-2.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 59.16 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 30.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ERIE INTL AP (5 mi away) | 6.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 120,111 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $177,000 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County, PA | 30 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Ashtabula County, OH | 36 mi | 2% | 89% |
| Chautauqua County, NY | 38 mi | 0% | 75% |
| Warren County, PA | 45 mi | 0% | 67% |
| Venango County, PA | 52 mi | under 1% | 73% |
| Mercer County, PA | 57 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Forest County, PA | 60 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Lake County, OH | 61 mi | 0% | 73% |
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