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Indiana County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Indiana County's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. 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 105 flood losses here since 2016, 79% of them in buildings with basements. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

37%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

66%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Indiana County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.9%
High water table (limits basements)37.0%
Septic fields very limited97.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.8%
Mapped soil522,918 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin30%under 1%
Ernest11%n/a
Wharton8%n/a
Hazleton8%0%
Bethesda7%n/a
Weikert6%under 1%
Cambria County: 60%Armstrong County: 33%Westmoreland County: 48%Jefferson County: 42%Clearfield County: 37%Clarion County: 50%Blair County: 42%Somerset County: 39%Indiana County CambriaArmstrongWestmorelandJeffersonClearfieldClarionBlairSomersetIndiana
Indiana 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 PA063 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 37% of Indiana 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: 48.71 in, 2.16 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 46.55 in.

USDA rates 97% 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. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.

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

105 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 62. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 79% basements, 9% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.

YearFlood losses
20161
201762
201818
20191
20202
20213
20221
20230
20249
20255
2026 to date3

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.55 in
12 months to August 202648.71 in (+2.16)
202544.27 in (-2.28)
Wettest year since 18952018: 67.47 in
Driest year since 18951930: 28.48 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INDIANA 3 SE (4 mi away)9.1

Homes

Housing units37,626
Median year built1970
Built before 198066%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$152,800
Single-family detached67%

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
Cambria County, PA 22 mi 0% 60%
Armstrong County, PA 23 mi 1% 33%
Westmoreland County, PA 31 mi 5% 48%
Jefferson County, PA 34 mi under 1% 42%
Clearfield County, PA 40 mi 0% 37%
Clarion County, PA 42 mi under 1% 50%
Blair County, PA 42 mi 2% 42%
Somerset County, PA 46 mi 0% 39%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status