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Cherokee County, Alabama

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 9% of Cherokee County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 14%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 69.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

9%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

14%

high water table: limits basements

69%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cherokee County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)8.7%
High water table (limits basements)13.7%
Septic fields very limited67.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)8.7%
Mapped soil384,150 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Minvale12%n/a
Conasauga12%n/a
Firestone9%n/a
Leesburg8%n/a
Holston6%n/a
Allen6%n/a
Chattooga County: 5%DeKalb County: 2%Floyd County: 9%Polk County: 1%Etowah County: 4%Walker County: 7%Dade County: 6%Jackson County: 25%Cherokee County ChattoogaDeKalbFloydPolkEtowahWalkerDadeJacksonCherokee
Cherokee County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AL019 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.51 in, 10.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.87 in.

USDA rates 68% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 9% and a shallow water table on 14% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Cherokee County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

69.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse69.4%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

15 flood losses since 2016, $216,388 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 11.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
201911
20201
20211
20221
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202053.87 in
12 months to August 202643.51 in (-10.36)
202549.13 in (-4.74)
Wettest year since 18951932: 74.41 in
Driest year since 18952007: 29.51 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUMMERVILLE (14 mi away)20.4

Homes

Housing units14,702
Median year built1986
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$179,700
Single-family detached70%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Chattooga County, GA 17 mi 5% 31%
DeKalb County, AL 18 mi 2% 16%
Floyd County, GA 20 mi 9% 33%
Polk County, GA 30 mi 1% 28%
Etowah County, AL 33 mi 4% 15%
Walker County, GA 33 mi 7% 21%
Dade County, GA 38 mi 6% 7%
Jackson County, AL 40 mi 25% 20%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status