HomePennsylvaniaPotter County
Potter County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Potter County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% 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 24 flood losses here since 2016, 39% of them in buildings with basements. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Potter County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 36.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 694,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Macove | 16% | n/a |
| Hazleton | 6% | 0% |
| Kinzua | 6% | n/a |
| Varilla | 6% | n/a |
| Willdin | 6% | n/a |
| Kedron | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA105 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 37% of Potter 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: 45.15 in, 1.89 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 43.26 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 15 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 28, 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
24 flood losses since 2016, $642,887 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 22. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 39% basements, 17% slabs, 35% crawl spaces, 9% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 22 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.15 in (+1.89) |
| 2025 | 38.39 in (-4.87) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 58.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 29.02 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GALETON (13 mi away) | 8.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,397 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,100 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron County, PA | 27 mi | 0% | 24% |
| Tioga County, PA | 33 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Allegany County, NY | 35 mi | 0% | 80% |
| McKean County, PA | 35 mi | 0% | 54% |
| Clinton County, PA | 38 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Steuben County, NY | 44 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Elk County, PA | 45 mi | 0% | 52% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 52 mi | under 1% | 19% |
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