Cleburne County, Alabama
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Cleburne County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 9%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Cleburne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 8.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 359,010 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Tatum | 25% | n/a |
| Fruithurst | 21% | n/a |
| Madison | 15% | 0% |
| Cheaha | 10% | n/a |
| Tallapoosa | 9% | n/a |
| Riverview | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL029 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 46.37 in, 9.10 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.47 in.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 9% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Cleburne County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 15 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 29.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| 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 Cleburne County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.37 in (-9.10) |
| 2025 | 53.65 in (-1.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1932: 76.94 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 27.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HEFLIN (6 mi away) | 18 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,874 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,600 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County, AL | 19 mi | 7% | 20% |
| Haralson County, GA | 19 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Carroll County, GA | 26 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Randolph County, AL | 26 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Polk County, GA | 29 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Heard County, GA | 34 mi | 0% | 12% |
| Clay County, AL | 34 mi | 2% | 15% |
| Etowah County, AL | 39 mi | 4% | 15% |
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