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Tioga County, Pennsylvania
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Tioga County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% 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 74 flood losses here since 2016, 68% of them in buildings with basements. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Tioga County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 728,108 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Oquaga | 21% | n/a |
| Volusia | 19% | over 99% |
| Lordstown | 16% | n/a |
| Mardin | 9% | n/a |
| Morris | 6% | n/a |
| Wellsboro | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas PA117 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Tioga 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: 38.88 in, 1.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.75 in.
USDA rates 98% 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 11 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
74 flood losses since 2016, $2.5 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 35. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 68% basements, 17% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 30 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 35 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.75 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.88 in (-1.87) |
| 2025 | 34.72 in (-6.03) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 57.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1964: 26.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COVINGTON 2 WSW (8 mi away) | 7.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,571 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $181,100 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lycoming County, PA | 31 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Potter County, PA | 33 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Steuben County, NY | 35 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Chemung County, NY | 37 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Bradford County, PA | 39 mi | 0% | 68% |
| Clinton County, PA | 41 mi | 1% | 35% |
| Sullivan County, PA | 45 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Schuyler County, NY | 48 mi | 2% | 62% |
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