Cullman County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 21% of Cullman County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Cullman County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 481,120 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Muskingum | 16% | n/a |
| Hartsells | 16% | n/a |
| Albertville | 12% | n/a |
| Wynnville | 11% | n/a |
| Pottsville (Montevallo) | 11% | n/a |
| Nauvoo | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL043 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 21% of Cullman 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: 56.79 in, 1.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.18 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the April 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 46.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $180,399 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.18 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 56.79 in (-1.39) |
| 2025 | 56.70 in (-1.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 75.01 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 28.88 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAINT BERNARD (4 mi away) | 19.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 39,871 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,100 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blount County, AL | 20 mi | 9% | 10% |
| Morgan County, AL | 22 mi | 16% | 37% |
| Winston County, AL | 28 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Marshall County, AL | 34 mi | 6% | 22% |
| Walker County, AL | 34 mi | 0% | 6% |
| Lawrence County, AL | 38 mi | 24% | 39% |
| Jefferson County, AL | 40 mi | 2% | 3% |
| St. Clair County, AL | 43 mi | 0% | 12% |
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