DeKalb County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 16% of DeKalb County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
48.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 53.1% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 DeKalb County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.0% |
| Mapped soil | 498,440 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hartsells | 22% | n/a |
| Wynnville | 9% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 8% | 0% |
| Muskingum (Gorgas) | 6% | n/a |
| Nauvoo | 6% | n/a |
| Fullerton | 5% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas AL049 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 16% of DeKalb 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: 47.96 in, 9.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.40 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
48.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 48.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $395,654 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.96 in (-9.44) |
| 2025 | 51.96 in (-5.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1946: 75.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 36.11 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at VALLEY HEAD (13 mi away) | 17 |
Homes
| Housing units | 30,963 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $152,700 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, AL | 18 mi | 9% | 14% |
| Jackson County, AL | 23 mi | 25% | 20% |
| Chattooga County, GA | 26 mi | 5% | 31% |
| Marshall County, AL | 31 mi | 6% | 22% |
| Etowah County, AL | 31 mi | 4% | 15% |
| Dade County, GA | 32 mi | 6% | 7% |
| Walker County, GA | 34 mi | 7% | 21% |
| Floyd County, GA | 36 mi | 9% | 33% |
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