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Providence County, Rhode Island

A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Providence County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 5 Rhode Island 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 161 flood losses here since 2016, 54% of them in buildings with basements. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1956.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

42%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

75%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Providence County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)42.4%
Septic fields very limited78.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)0.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.7%
Urban land, not rated6.5%
Mapped soil285,654 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Canton18%n/a
Woodbridge11%n/a
Charlton10%n/a
Paxton7%n/a
Ridgebury5%n/a
Hinckley5%n/a
Kent County: 34%Bristol County: 38%Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region: 52%Bristol County: 63%Norfolk County: 34%Newport County: 66%Washington County: 38%Worcester County: 51%Providence County KentBristolNortheastern ConnecticutBristolNorfolkNewportWashingtonWorcesterProvidence
Providence 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 RI600 (2025-09-03)

What the numbers mean here

On 42% of Providence 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: 44.16 in, 6.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.52 in.

USDA rates 79% 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 7 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 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

161 flood losses since 2016, $9.9 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 62. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 54% basements, 31% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 11% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.

YearFlood losses
20161
20172
201815
20192
20202
20218
20225
202362
202458
20252
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202050.52 in
12 months to August 202644.16 in (-6.36)
202546.80 in (-3.72)
Wettest year since 18952018: 66.02 in
Driest year since 18951965: 28.78 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at N FOSTER 1 E (8 mi away)15.1

Homes

Housing units277,740
Median year built1956
Built before 198075%
Built 2000 or later9%
Owner-occupied57%
Median value, owner-occupied$373,600
Single-family detached46%

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
Kent County, RI 13 mi 0% 34%
Bristol County, RI 19 mi 0% 38%
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 20 mi 0% 52%
Bristol County, MA 27 mi 0% 63%
Norfolk County, MA 29 mi 0% 34%
Newport County, RI 30 mi 0% 66%
Washington County, RI 33 mi 0% 38%
Worcester County, MA 36 mi under 1% 51%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status