Barbour County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Barbour County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Barbour County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.8% |
| Mapped soil | 578,540 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Springhill | 12% | n/a |
| Cowarts | 12% | n/a |
| Luverne | 9% | n/a |
| Nankin | 9% | n/a |
| Lucy | 8% | n/a |
| Fuquay | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL005 (2025-08-31)
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Barbour 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: 43.90 in, 9.70 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.60 in.
USDA rates 81% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $16,798 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.60 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.90 in (-9.70) |
| 2025 | 47.37 in (-6.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 75.51 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 27.19 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLAYTON (3 mi away) | 18.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,762 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $112,900 |
| Single-family detached | 61% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quitman County, GA | 23 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Bullock County, AL | 25 mi | 37% | 42% |
| Henry County, AL | 26 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Clay County, GA | 30 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| Russell County, AL | 32 mi | 18% | 34% |
| Pike County, AL | 32 mi | 4% | 26% |
| Dale County, AL | 33 mi | 6% | 43% |
| Stewart County, GA | 36 mi | 0% | 17% |
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