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Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 67% of Lawrence County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties and the 8th highest of 67 Pennsylvania 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 22 flood losses here since 2016, 45% of them in buildings with basements. 77% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Lawrence County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 66.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.2% |
| Mapped soil | 232,263 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Ravenna | 22% | n/a |
| Canfield | 22% | over 99% |
| Frenchtown | 6% | n/a |
| Fairpoint | 5% | n/a |
| Conotton | 5% | n/a |
| Loudonville | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA073 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 67% of Lawrence 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: 42.64 in, 0.26 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 42.38 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 3.1% of its area, on the October 14, 2025 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
22 flood losses since 2016, $320,532 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 6. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 45% basements, 35% slabs, 20% crawl spaces.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.64 in (+0.26) |
| 2025 | 37.51 in (-4.87) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 54.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 29.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEW CASTLE 1 N (2 mi away) | 8.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 39,591 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 77% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $147,200 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver County, PA | 21 mi | 6% | 35% |
| Mercer County, PA | 22 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Butler County, PA | 22 mi | 1% | 53% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 23 mi | 9% | 77% |
| Columbiana County, OH | 28 mi | 2% | 53% |
| Trumbull County, OH | 31 mi | under 1% | 77% |
| Hancock County, WV | 35 mi | 1% | 11% |
| Allegheny County, PA | 41 mi | 10% | 31% |
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