Butler County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Butler County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14%.
17.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Butler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 14.2% |
| Mapped soil | 498,650 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Luverne | 26% | n/a |
| Orangeburg | 12% | 0% |
| Halso | 8% | n/a |
| Troup | 5% | 0% |
| Rains | 5% | n/a |
| Mantachie | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL013 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Butler 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: 43.71 in, 13.68 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.39 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
17.5% 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 36 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 17.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Butler County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.71 in (-13.68) |
| 2025 | 47.27 in (-10.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1975: 85.02 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GREENVILLE (5 mi away) | 18.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,885 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $99,800 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crenshaw County, AL | 21 mi | 10% | 32% |
| Lowndes County, AL | 27 mi | 55% | 41% |
| Conecuh County, AL | 29 mi | 10% | 24% |
| Covington County, AL | 38 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Wilcox County, AL | 40 mi | 33% | 41% |
| Montgomery County, AL | 42 mi | 53% | 51% |
| Monroe County, AL | 43 mi | 12% | 38% |
| Pike County, AL | 44 mi | 4% | 26% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status