Franklin County, Vermont
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of Franklin County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties and the 5th highest of 14 Vermont counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
31.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 0% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 52.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 443,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Woodstock | 12% | n/a |
| Peru | 10% | n/a |
| Cabot | 7% | n/a |
| Tunbridge | 5% | n/a |
| Massena | 3% | n/a |
| Windsor | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VT011 (2025-09-16)
What the numbers mean here
On 52% of Franklin 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: 46.26 in, 1.08 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 45.18 in.
USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
31.1% 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 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 | 31.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $380,082 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.18 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.26 in (+1.08) |
| 2025 | 43.80 in (-1.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 55.10 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1908: 31.47 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MT MANSFIELD (24 mi away) | 18.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 23,019 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $306,700 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Isle County, VT | 20 mi | 21% | 65% |
| Lamoille County, VT | 22 mi | 0% | 24% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 28 mi | 3% | 39% |
| Orleans County, VT | 32 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Clinton County, NY | 40 mi | 3% | 51% |
| Washington County, VT | 42 mi | 0% | 35% |
| Caledonia County, VT | 48 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Addison County, VT | 58 mi | 5% | 53% |
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