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Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 53% of Lackawanna County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% 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 97 flood losses here since 2016, 82% of them in buildings with basements. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1955.
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 Lackawanna County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.6% |
| Mapped soil | 297,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Morris | 11% | n/a |
| Oquaga | 10% | n/a |
| Wellsboro | 10% | n/a |
| Volusia | 7% | over 99% |
| Arnot | 6% | n/a |
| Lordstown | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA069 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 53% of Lackawanna 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: 42.97 in, 2.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.15 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 68.2% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
97 flood losses since 2016, $1.5 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 54. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 82% basements, 12% slabs, 1% crawl spaces, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 54 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.15 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.97 in (-2.18) |
| 2025 | 41.84 in (-3.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 68.96 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 30.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WILKES-BARRE INTL AP (9 mi away) | 7.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 100,177 |
| Median year built | 1955 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $201,800 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming County, PA | 22 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Wayne County, PA | 22 mi | 0% | 64% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 26 mi | 0% | 45% |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 28 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Monroe County, PA | 30 mi | 0% | 60% |
| Pike County, PA | 31 mi | 0% | 64% |
| Carbon County, PA | 36 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Sullivan County, PA | 47 mi | 0% | 53% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status