Baldwin County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of Baldwin County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties and the 6th highest of 67 Alabama counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
22.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 28.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 3,380 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 18% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1999.
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 Baldwin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 52.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,075,510 acres |
How we count · survey areas AL003 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
On 52% of Baldwin 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: 51.57 in, 12.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 64.04 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
22.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 15 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 29.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 22.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3,380 flood losses since 2016, $125.5 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3,199. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 35% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 59% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 27 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 92 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 3,199 |
| 2021 | 29 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 23 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 64.04 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.57 in (-12.47) |
| 2025 | 56.12 in (-7.92) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 88.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 34.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROBERTSDALE (7 mi away) | 21.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 132,258 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 18% |
| Built 2000 or later | 48% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $316,900 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile County, AL | 27 mi | 2% | 47% |
| Escambia County, FL | 27 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 43 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Escambia County, AL | 47 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Jackson County, MS | 54 mi | 0% | 69% |
| George County, MS | 55 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Washington County, AL | 59 mi | 5% | 71% |
| Greene County, MS | 65 mi | 21% | 47% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 31, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status