Addison County, Vermont
A shallow water table limits basements on 53% of Addison County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties and the 4th highest of 14 Vermont counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
0.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Addison County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 52.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.2% |
| Mapped soil | 516,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Vergennes | 21% | n/a |
| Berkshire | 12% | n/a |
| Marlow | 8% | n/a |
| Peru | 5% | n/a |
| Covington | 5% | n/a |
| Panton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VT001 (2025-09-16)
What the numbers mean here
On 53% of Addison 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: 40.40 in, 2.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.77 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the November 4, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $73,311 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.77 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.40 in (-2.37) |
| 2025 | 37.75 in (-5.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 56.54 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 28.68 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CORNWALL (6 mi away) | 6.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,617 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $361,200 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutland County, VT | 29 mi | 2% | 37% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 30 mi | 3% | 39% |
| Washington County, VT | 31 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Essex County, NY | 32 mi | 3% | 31% |
| Orange County, VT | 38 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Windsor County, VT | 42 mi | 0% | 27% |
| Lamoille County, VT | 47 mi | 0% | 24% |
| Warren County, NY | 48 mi | under 1% | 15% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 16, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status