Hampden County, MA Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Hampden County, MA

Low

Soil across 100% of Hampden County, MA comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 0.76% linear extensibility. That's as favorable a county-level reading as this dataset produces - standard foundation practice, pending one lot's own geotechnical report.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Hampden County, MA - never a reading for one specific parcel. A site-specific soil report, usually $1,000-$5,000, is what an engineer would actually pull before designing a foundation on a lot in Hampden County.

Hampden County: the real numbers

Hampden County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Hampden County, MA ranks 3,000 most-constrained nationally, and 5 of 14 within Massachusetts. Hampden County, MA is 617 square miles with a population of 464,151.

See how another county compares

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Bland County, VA and Catron County, NM are worth a look for comparison.

How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil

Elsewhere in Massachusetts

Every county in Massachusetts is on this site, including Bristol County, MA and Norfolk County, MA. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.