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Monroe County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Monroe County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% 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 78 flood losses here since 2016, 44% of them in buildings with basements. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Monroe County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 394,605 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lackawanna | 9% | n/a |
| Wellsboro | 7% | n/a |
| Lordstown | 6% | n/a |
| Oquaga | 6% | n/a |
| Wurtsboro | 5% | n/a |
| Morris | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA089 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 60% of Monroe 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: 44.84 in, 7.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.93 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 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
78 flood losses since 2016, $2.6 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 40. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 44% basements, 18% slabs, 20% crawl spaces, 18% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 21 |
| 2021 | 40 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.93 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.84 in (-7.09) |
| 2025 | 40.99 in (-10.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 79.54 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 33.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at E STROUDSBURG (7 mi away) | 13.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 79,607 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $267,600 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton County, PA | 21 mi | 0% | 30% |
| Warren County, NJ | 22 mi | 0% | 22% |
| Carbon County, PA | 22 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Pike County, PA | 24 mi | 0% | 64% |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 30 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Lehigh County, PA | 33 mi | 0% | 22% |
| Sussex County, NJ | 33 mi | 0% | 16% |
| Luzerne County, PA | 35 mi | 0% | 45% |
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