Essex County, Vermont
A shallow water table limits basements on 71% of Essex County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties and the highest of 14 Vermont counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Essex County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 70.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 431,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Cabot | 20% | n/a |
| Colonel | 18% | n/a |
| Peru | 15% | n/a |
| Tunbridge | 14% | n/a |
| Lyman | 6% | n/a |
| Wilmington | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VT009 (2025-09-16)
What the numbers mean here
On 71% of Essex 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: 42.41 in, 3.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.99 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Essex County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.41 in (-3.58) |
| 2025 | 36.97 in (-9.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1954: 57.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1914: 31.08 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ISLAND POND (10 mi away) | 7.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,952 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,500 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coos County, NH | 22 mi | under 1% | 53% |
| Caledonia County, VT | 26 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Orleans County, VT | 26 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Lamoille County, VT | 45 mi | 0% | 24% |
| Oxford County, ME | 52 mi | 0% | 48% |
| Washington County, VT | 53 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Grafton County, NH | 55 mi | 1% | 29% |
| Franklin County, VT | 58 mi | 1% | 52% |
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