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Somerset County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of Somerset County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% 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 61 flood losses here since 2016, 61% of them in buildings with basements. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

39%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

69%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Somerset County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)38.5%
Septic fields very limited92.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil691,552 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Rayne14%n/a
Hazleton14%0%
Gilpin10%under 1%
Wharton8%n/a
Leck Kill6%n/a
Cavode6%n/a
Bedford County: 36%Allegany County: 21%Westmoreland County: 48%Fayette County: 49%Garrett County: 47%Mineral County: 21%Cambria County: 60%Indiana County: 37%Somerset County BedfordAlleganyWestmorelandFayetteGarrettMineralCambriaIndianaSomerset
Somerset 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 PA111 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 39% of Somerset 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: 45.04 in, 2.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.18 in.

USDA rates 92% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 54.8% of its area, on the February 17, 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

61 flood losses since 2016, $812,878 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 25. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 61% basements, 12% slabs, 12% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14.5 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20175
201825
20195
20201
20210
20220
20230
20244
202518
2026 to date3

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.18 in
12 months to August 202645.04 in (-2.14)
202546.30 in (-0.88)
Wettest year since 18952018: 71.42 in
Driest year since 18951930: 26.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SOMERSET (3 mi away)8.1

Homes

Housing units37,863
Median year built1964
Built before 198069%
Built 2000 or later11%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$150,600
Single-family detached74%

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
Bedford County, PA 28 mi 3% 36%
Allegany County, MD 31 mi 2% 21%
Westmoreland County, PA 32 mi 5% 48%
Fayette County, PA 33 mi 2% 49%
Garrett County, MD 33 mi 0% 47%
Mineral County, WV 40 mi 2% 21%
Cambria County, PA 40 mi 0% 60%
Indiana County, PA 46 mi 1% 37%

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