Chilton County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Chilton County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
43.4% 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 2 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Chilton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.2% |
| Mapped soil | 447,471 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Luverne | 14% | n/a |
| Talladega | 13% | n/a |
| Ruston | 11% | n/a |
| Saffell | 7% | n/a |
| Madison | 6% | 0% |
| Tallapoosa | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL021 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 19% of Chilton 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: 41.98 in, 13.60 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.58 in.
USDA rates 81% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
43.4% 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 20 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 | 43.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $36,267 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.98 in (-13.60) |
| 2025 | 55.20 in (-0.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 78.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 32.21 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at THORSBY EXP STN (6 mi away) | 18.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,839 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $161,300 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autauga County, AL | 23 mi | under 1% | 27% |
| Bibb County, AL | 26 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Coosa County, AL | 29 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Shelby County, AL | 29 mi | 2% | 9% |
| Perry County, AL | 36 mi | 23% | 46% |
| Elmore County, AL | 38 mi | 2% | 30% |
| Dallas County, AL | 42 mi | 22% | 51% |
| Talladega County, AL | 48 mi | 1% | 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