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Perry County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 29% of Perry 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 18 flood losses here since 2016. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

29%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Perry County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.1%
High water table (limits basements)29.1%
Septic fields very limited96.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.4%
Mapped soil357,588 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Hazleton18%0%
Berks10%under 1%
Calvin9%n/a
Laidig9%n/a
Weikert9%under 1%
Elliber6%n/a
Juniata County: 33%Cumberland County: 23%Dauphin County: 21%Mifflin County: 34%Snyder County: 28%Adams County: 45%Huntingdon County: 31%Franklin County: 32%Perry County JuniataCumberlandDauphinMifflinSnyderAdamsHuntingdonFranklinPerry
Perry 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 PA099 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 29% of Perry 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: 38.21 in, 6.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.49 in.

USDA rates 96% 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 12 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 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

18 flood losses since 2016, $201,183 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20184
20192
20202
20212
20221
20231
20245
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202044.49 in
12 months to August 202638.21 in (-6.28)
202539.22 in (-5.27)
Wettest year since 18952018: 68.06 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.34 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEWISTOWN (21 mi away)8.5

Homes

Housing units20,049
Median year built1976
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied82%
Median value, owner-occupied$236,400
Single-family detached81%

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
Juniata County, PA 12 mi 1% 33%
Cumberland County, PA 16 mi 1% 23%
Dauphin County, PA 25 mi under 1% 21%
Mifflin County, PA 25 mi 3% 34%
Snyder County, PA 27 mi 1% 28%
Adams County, PA 37 mi under 1% 45%
Huntingdon County, PA 37 mi 2% 31%
Franklin County, PA 40 mi 4% 32%

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