Bennington County, Vermont
A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Bennington County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% 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 28 flood losses here since 2016. 63% 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 Bennington County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 433,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Houghtonville | 10% | n/a |
| Mundal | 9% | n/a |
| Rawsonville | 9% | n/a |
| Dutchess | 7% | n/a |
| Berkshire | 7% | n/a |
| Peru | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VT003 (2025-09-16)
What the numbers mean here
On 32% of Bennington 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: 44.19 in, 5.17 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.36 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 5 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 | 87.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
28 flood losses since 2016, $494,559 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.19 in (-5.17) |
| 2025 | 48.92 in (-0.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 65.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1911: 32.92 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUNDERLAND 2 (4 mi away) | 10 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,903 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $279,900 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windham County, VT | 20 mi | 0% | 29% |
| Washington County, NY | 25 mi | 12% | 34% |
| Rensselaer County, NY | 30 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Saratoga County, NY | 38 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Rutland County, VT | 40 mi | 2% | 37% |
| Franklin County, MA | 41 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Cheshire County, NH | 44 mi | 4% | 27% |
| Windsor County, VT | 45 mi | 0% | 27% |
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