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Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Schuylkill County's mapped land. 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 186 flood losses here since 2016, 80% of them in buildings with basements. 79% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1946.
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 Schuylkill County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.0% |
| Mapped soil | 501,939 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Dekalb | 10% | n/a |
| Leck Kill | 8% | n/a |
| Meckesville | 7% | n/a |
| Lehew | 7% | n/a |
| Buchanan | 6% | n/a |
| Berks | 6% | under 1% |
How we count · survey areas PA107 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Schuylkill 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: 38.13 in, 12.02 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.15 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 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
186 flood losses since 2016, $4.7 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 163. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 80% basements, 12% slabs, 2% crawl spaces, 6% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 25 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 163 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 15 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.15 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.13 in (-12.02) |
| 2025 | 41.71 in (-8.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 78.06 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 30.31 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MAHANOY CITY 2 N (10 mi away) | 13.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 67,295 |
| Median year built | 1946 |
| Built before 1980 | 79% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,000 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berks County, PA | 25 mi | 0% | 27% |
| Columbia County, PA | 25 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Lebanon County, PA | 26 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Northumberland County, PA | 28 mi | under 1% | 27% |
| Carbon County, PA | 31 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Montour County, PA | 32 mi | 1% | 36% |
| Lehigh County, PA | 33 mi | 0% | 22% |
| 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