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Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 18% of Lancaster County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 196 flood losses here since 2016, 56% of them in buildings with basements. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

18%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

53%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lancaster County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)under 0.1%
High water table (limits basements)17.7%
Septic fields very limited55.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.2%
Urban land, not rated1.8%
Mapped soil629,516 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Hagerstown11%n/a
Duffield11%n/a
Manor9%n/a
Chester8%n/a
Glenelg7%0%
Bedington5%n/a
Lebanon County: 30%York County: 20%Chester County: 21%Berks County: 27%Harford County: 29%Cecil County: 38%Dauphin County: 21%New Castle County: 34%Lancaster County LebanonYorkChesterBerksHarfordCecilDauphinNew CastleLancaster
Lancaster 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 PA071 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

On 18% of Lancaster 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: 39.97 in, 5.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.90 in.

USDA rates 55% 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 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 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

196 flood losses since 2016, $5.5 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 92. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 56% basements, 22% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 17% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.

YearFlood losses
20161
20172
201892
20190
20207
202151
20220
20230
20244
202538
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.90 in
12 months to August 202639.97 in (-5.93)
202543.48 in (-2.42)
Wettest year since 18952018: 67.54 in
Driest year since 18951930: 27.21 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LANCASTER 2NE FLTR PLT (1 mi away)11.3

Homes

Housing units219,224
Median year built1978
Built before 198053%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied70%
Median value, owner-occupied$301,100
Single-family detached55%

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
Lebanon County, PA 25 mi 1% 30%
York County, PA 27 mi under 1% 20%
Chester County, PA 27 mi under 1% 21%
Berks County, PA 31 mi 0% 27%
Harford County, MD 35 mi 5% 29%
Cecil County, MD 37 mi 2% 38%
Dauphin County, PA 39 mi under 1% 21%
New Castle County, DE 46 mi 2% 34%

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