Autauga County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 27% of Autauga County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
22.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 71.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Autauga County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 27.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 354,097 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smithdale | 15% | 0% |
| Heidel | 9% | n/a |
| Luverne | 8% | n/a |
| Lucedale | 6% | n/a |
| Blanton | 6% | n/a |
| Bibb | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL001 (2025-08-26)
What the numbers mean here
On 27% of Autauga 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: 41.12 in, 13.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.95 in.
USDA rates 72% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
22.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 22.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $192,327 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.12 in (-13.83) |
| 2025 | 52.08 in (-2.87) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 77.96 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 29.27 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLANTERSVILLE 2 SSE (16 mi away) | 20.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,039 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 34% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $207,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilton County, AL | 23 mi | 3% | 19% |
| Lowndes County, AL | 27 mi | 55% | 41% |
| Elmore County, AL | 30 mi | 2% | 30% |
| Dallas County, AL | 31 mi | 22% | 51% |
| Montgomery County, AL | 34 mi | 53% | 51% |
| Coosa County, AL | 36 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Perry County, AL | 38 mi | 23% | 46% |
| Bibb County, AL | 44 mi | 1% | 30% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 26, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status