Rutland County, Vermont
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Rutland County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% of US counties and the 8th highest of 14 Vermont counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 69 flood losses here since 2016, 78% of them in buildings with basements. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Rutland County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 36.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.1% |
| Mapped soil | 604,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Taconic | 9% | n/a |
| Macomber | 8% | n/a |
| Tunbridge | 6% | n/a |
| Berkshire | 6% | n/a |
| Peru | 4% | n/a |
| Dutchess | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas VT021 (2025-09-16)
What the numbers mean here
On 37% of Rutland 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: 42.27 in, 3.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.38 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
69 flood losses since 2016, $1.4 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 48. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 78% basements, 10% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 8% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 48 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.27 in (-3.11) |
| 2025 | 41.08 in (-4.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 59.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1911: 31.48 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RUTLAND (4 mi away) | 7.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 33,991 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $229,400 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor County, VT | 23 mi | 0% | 27% |
| Washington County, NY | 28 mi | 12% | 34% |
| Addison County, VT | 29 mi | 5% | 53% |
| Warren County, NY | 39 mi | under 1% | 15% |
| Bennington County, VT | 40 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Orange County, VT | 44 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Sullivan County, NH | 45 mi | 2% | 26% |
| Windham County, VT | 46 mi | 0% | 29% |
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