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Fayette County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Fayette County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 143 flood losses here since 2016, 52% of them in buildings with basements. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

49%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

74%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Fayette County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.9%
High water table (limits basements)49.1%
Septic fields very limited95.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.7%
Urban land, not rated1.9%
Mapped soil511,021 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin12%under 1%
Dormont7%n/a
Culleoka7%n/a
Wharton6%n/a
Guernsey5%n/a
Hazleton5%0%
Westmoreland County: 48%Monongalia County: 24%Preston County: 25%Greene County: 59%Garrett County: 47%Somerset County: 39%Washington County: 51%Allegheny County: 31%Fayette County WestmorelandMonongaliaPrestonGreeneGarrettSomersetWashingtonAlleghenyFayette
Fayette 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 PA051 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 49% of Fayette 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: 47.25 in, 0.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.69 in.

USDA rates 96% 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 1 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 6% 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

143 flood losses since 2016, $5.5 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 37. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 52% basements, 35% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 10% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16.5 in.

YearFlood losses
201637
201735
201822
201927
20204
20214
20223
20231
20246
20250
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.69 in
12 months to August 202647.25 in (-0.44)
202546.56 in (-1.13)
Wettest year since 18952018: 70.70 in
Driest year since 18951930: 29.23 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at UNIONTOWN 1 NE (4 mi away)7.6

Homes

Housing units62,158
Median year built1959
Built before 198074%
Built 2000 or later10%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$143,200
Single-family detached73%

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
Westmoreland County, PA 29 mi 5% 48%
Monongalia County, WV 30 mi 8% 24%
Preston County, WV 31 mi under 1% 25%
Greene County, PA 31 mi 6% 59%
Garrett County, MD 32 mi 0% 47%
Somerset County, PA 33 mi 0% 39%
Washington County, PA 38 mi 7% 51%
Allegheny County, PA 42 mi 10% 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