Covington County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Covington County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 61.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 53% 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 Covington County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 50.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.8% |
| Mapped soil | 668,210 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg | 20% | 0% |
| Dothan | 9% | over 99% |
| Troup | 9% | 0% |
| Bonifay | 8% | n/a |
| Cowarts | 8% | n/a |
| Fuquay | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL039 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Covington 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: 50.79 in, 8.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.69 in.
USDA rates 50% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 61.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.79 in (-8.90) |
| 2025 | 47.77 in (-11.92) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1975: 93.57 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 29.93 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ANDALUSIA 3 W (6 mi away) | 19.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,714 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $152,100 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee County, AL | 29 mi | 3% | 22% |
| Conecuh County, AL | 34 mi | 10% | 24% |
| Crenshaw County, AL | 34 mi | 10% | 32% |
| Butler County, AL | 38 mi | 14% | 30% |
| Geneva County, AL | 39 mi | 1% | 55% |
| Escambia County, AL | 43 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Okaloosa County, FL | 44 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Holmes County, FL | 46 mi | under 1% | 65% |
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