Escambia County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Escambia County's mapped land, a higher share than 54% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
20% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 82.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 50 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Escambia County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 608,530 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Benndale | 17% | n/a |
| Orangeburg | 15% | 0% |
| Troup | 11% | 0% |
| Bibb | 11% | n/a |
| Greenville | 4% | n/a |
| Plummer | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL053 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 36% of Escambia 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: 52.80 in, 10.07 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 62.87 in.
Drought
20% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 83% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 20% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
50 flood losses since 2016, $2.8 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 39. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 85% slabs, 10% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 39 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 62.87 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 52.80 in (-10.07) |
| 2025 | 49.08 in (-13.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1975: 93.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 32.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALLACE 2 E (6 mi away) | 22.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,816 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $136,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conecuh County, AL | 24 mi | 10% | 24% |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 32 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Monroe County, AL | 34 mi | 12% | 38% |
| Escambia County, FL | 42 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Covington County, AL | 43 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Baldwin County, AL | 47 mi | 2% | 52% |
| Okaloosa County, FL | 49 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Butler County, AL | 52 mi | 14% | 30% |
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