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Alabama soil by county

Across Alabama's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10% and a shallow water table limits basements on 32%.

Highest clay shares: Lowndes County (55%), Montgomery County (53%), Bullock County (37%), Sumter County (37%), Marengo County (36%). Highest water-table shares: Washington County (71%), Houston County (63%), Sumter County (62%), Greene County (59%), Geneva County (55%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 67 counties

Autauga County: 0%Baldwin County: 2%Barbour County: 5%Bibb County: 1%Blount County: 9%Bullock County: 37%Butler County: 14%Calhoun County: 7%Chambers County: 0%Cherokee County: 9%Chilton County: 3%Choctaw County: 10%Clarke County: 9%Clay County: 2%Cleburne County: 0%Coffee County: 3%Colbert County: 18%Conecuh County: 10%Coosa County: 1%Covington County: 2%Crenshaw County: 10%Cullman County: 0%Dale County: 6%Dallas County: 22%DeKalb County: 2%Elmore County: 2%Escambia County: 0%Etowah County: 4%Fayette County: 2%Franklin County: 16%Geneva County: 1%Greene County: 32%Hale County: 18%Henry County: 2%Houston County: 0%Jackson County: 25%Jefferson County: 2%Lamar County: 0%Lauderdale County: 0%Lawrence County: 24%Lee County: 1%Limestone County: 1%Lowndes County: 55%Macon County: 18%Madison County: 21%Marengo County: 36%Marion County: 0%Marshall County: 6%Mobile County: 2%Monroe County: 12%Montgomery County: 53%Morgan County: 16%Perry County: 23%Pickens County: 6%Pike County: 4%Randolph County: 0%Russell County: 18%Shelby County: 2%St. Clair County: 0%Sumter County: 37%Talladega County: 1%Tallapoosa County: 1%Tuscaloosa County: 1%Walker County: 0%Washington County: 5%Wilcox County: 33%Winston County: 0%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Autauga County: 27%Baldwin County: 52%Barbour County: 38%Bibb County: 30%Blount County: 10%Bullock County: 42%Butler County: 30%Calhoun County: 20%Chambers County: 17%Cherokee County: 14%Chilton County: 19%Choctaw County: 35%Clarke County: 31%Clay County: 15%Cleburne County: 9%Coffee County: 22%Colbert County: 17%Conecuh County: 24%Coosa County: 10%Covington County: 42%Crenshaw County: 32%Cullman County: 21%Dale County: 43%Dallas County: 51%DeKalb County: 16%Elmore County: 30%Escambia County: 36%Etowah County: 15%Fayette County: 26%Franklin County: 31%Geneva County: 55%Greene County: 59%Hale County: 45%Henry County: 23%Houston County: 63%Jackson County: 20%Jefferson County: 3%Lamar County: 44%Lauderdale County: 32%Lawrence County: 39%Lee County: 22%Limestone County: 42%Lowndes County: 41%Macon County: 47%Madison County: 37%Marengo County: 47%Marion County: 29%Marshall County: 22%Mobile County: 47%Monroe County: 38%Montgomery County: 51%Morgan County: 37%Perry County: 46%Pickens County: 45%Pike County: 26%Randolph County: 11%Russell County: 34%Shelby County: 9%St. Clair County: 12%Sumter County: 62%Talladega County: 20%Tallapoosa County: 13%Tuscaloosa County: 16%Walker County: 6%Washington County: 71%Wilcox County: 41%Winston County: 11%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in Alabama

Select a column heading to sort.
Autauga County under 1% 27% 70% 13 1994
Baldwin County 2% 52% 30% 3,380 1999
Barbour County 5% 38% 0% 3 1983
Bibb County 1% 30% 100% 3 1990
Blount County 9% 10% 0% 5 1990
Bullock County 37% 42% 0% 0 1987
Butler County 14% 30% 100% 0 1979
Calhoun County 7% 20% 0% 24 1979
Chambers County under 1% 17% 3% 7 1979
Cherokee County 9% 14% 0% 15 1986
Chilton County 3% 19% 100% 2 1988
Choctaw County 10% 35% 44% 5 1984
Clarke County 9% 31% 100% 10 1981
Clay County 2% 15% 0% 0 1984
Cleburne County 0% 9% 0% 0 1989
Coffee County 3% 22% 100% 7 1987
Colbert County 18% 17% 15% 38 1979
Conecuh County 10% 24% 100% 0 1982
Coosa County 1% 10% 63% 1 1985
Covington County 2% 42% 78% 2 1979
Crenshaw County 10% 32% 92% 0 1982
Cullman County 0% 21% 0% 9 1987
Dale County 6% 43% 42% 2 1983
Dallas County 22% 51% 69% 16 1977
DeKalb County 2% 16% 22% 8 1984
Elmore County 2% 30% 27% 12 1995
Escambia County 0% 36% 97% 50 1983
Etowah County 4% 15% 0% 18 1975
Fayette County 2% 26% 72% 0 1980
Franklin County 16% 31% 9% 2 1983
Geneva County 1% 55% 72% 7 1979
Greene County 32% 59% 100% 29 1981
Hale County 18% 45% 100% 14 1985
Henry County 2% 23% 0% 5 1982
Houston County under 1% 63% 7% 36 1985
Jackson County 25% 20% 75% 8 1985
Jefferson County 2% 3% 7% 366 1975
Lamar County under 1% 44% 96% 0 1978
Lauderdale County 0% 32% 25% 17 1980
Lawrence County 24% 39% 0% 12 1990
Lee County 1% 22% 0% 17 1997
Limestone County 1% 42% 49% 7 1998
Lowndes County 55% 41% 9% 2 1991
Macon County 18% 47% 0% 3 1979
Madison County 21% 37% 48% 144 1992
Marengo County 36% 47% 99% 7 1982
Marion County under 1% 29% 20% 0 1978
Marshall County 6% 22% 0% 14 1986
Mobile County 2% 47% 57% 749 1980
Monroe County 12% 38% 100% 1 1984
Montgomery County 53% 51% 0% 77 1979
Morgan County 16% 37% 0% 29 1983
Perry County 23% 46% 100% 0 1985
Pickens County 6% 45% 100% 32 1979
Pike County 4% 26% 45% 0 1986
Randolph County 0% 11% 11% 1 1986
Russell County 18% 34% 0% 26 1985
Shelby County 2% 9% 50% 195 1997
St. Clair County 0% 12% 0% 11 1998
Sumter County 37% 62% 27% 5 1979
Talladega County 1% 20% 5% 28 1984
Tallapoosa County 1% 13% 0% 1 1985
Tuscaloosa County 1% 16% 91% 77 1992
Walker County 0% 6% 0% 12 1983
Washington County 5% 71% 100% 4 1984
Wilcox County 33% 41% 100% 0 1985
Winston County 0% 11% 0% 7 1988

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.