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Forest County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 59% of Forest County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US 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 3 flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

59%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

70%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Forest County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)59.2%
Septic fields very limited97.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil276,110 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Cookport28%n/a
Hazleton24%0%
Buchanan11%n/a
Gilpin9%under 1%
Cavode5%n/a
Clymer3%n/a
Warren County: 67%Clarion County: 50%Venango County: 73%Jefferson County: 42%Elk County: 52%McKean County: 54%Crawford County: 85%Armstrong County: 33%Forest County WarrenClarionVenangoJeffersonElkMcKeanCrawfordArmstrongForest
Forest 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 PA609 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 59% of Forest 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: 47.14 in, 0.59 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 46.55 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 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the November 11, 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

3 flood losses since 2016, $372 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20180
20190
20200
20212
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.55 in
12 months to August 202647.14 in (+0.59)
202542.88 in (-3.67)
Wettest year since 18951950: 56.78 in
Driest year since 18951930: 31.60 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TIONESTA 2 SE LAKE (10 mi away)8.9

Homes

Housing units6,937
Median year built1970
Built before 198070%
Built 2000 or later12%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$115,300
Single-family detached83%

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
Warren County, PA 22 mi 0% 67%
Clarion County, PA 23 mi under 1% 50%
Venango County, PA 28 mi under 1% 73%
Jefferson County, PA 29 mi under 1% 42%
Elk County, PA 31 mi 0% 52%
McKean County, PA 41 mi 0% 54%
Crawford County, PA 46 mi 0% 85%
Armstrong County, PA 50 mi 1% 33%

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