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Clarke County, Alabama

A shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Clarke County's mapped land, a higher share than 50% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.

82.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 96.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

9%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

31%

high water table: limits basements

83%

in drought, October 13, 2026

49%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Clarke County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)9.1%
High water table (limits basements)31.0%
Septic fields very limited82.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)8.4%
Mapped soil801,470 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale13%0%
Luverne11%n/a
Wadley8%n/a
Brantley6%n/a
Okeelala6%n/a
Urbo4%n/a
Monroe County: 38%Washington County: 71%Choctaw County: 35%Wilcox County: 41%Marengo County: 47%Wayne County: 40%Conecuh County: 24%Escambia County: 36%Clarke County MonroeWashingtonChoctawWilcoxMarengoWayneConecuhEscambiaClarke
Clarke County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AL025 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

On 31% of Clarke 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: 51.27 in, 6.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.13 in.

USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

82.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 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 worse82.7%
D2 severe or worse0.7%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

10 flood losses since 2016, $586,841 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 10.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
201810
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202058.13 in
12 months to August 202651.27 in (-6.86)
202549.42 in (-8.71)
Wettest year since 18951975: 85.47 in
Driest year since 18951954: 35.50 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JACKSON (13 mi away)20.1

Homes

Housing units11,749
Median year built1981
Built before 198049%
Built 2000 or later15%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$121,700
Single-family detached68%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Monroe County, AL 27 mi 12% 38%
Washington County, AL 30 mi 5% 71%
Choctaw County, AL 32 mi 10% 35%
Wilcox County, AL 37 mi 33% 41%
Marengo County, AL 40 mi 36% 47%
Wayne County, MS 51 mi 15% 40%
Conecuh County, AL 52 mi 10% 24%
Escambia County, AL 55 mi 0% 36%

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