Franklin County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Franklin County's mapped land, a higher share than 50% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
99.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 46% 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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.0% |
| Mapped soil | 400,988 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgas | 14% | n/a |
| Savannah | 9% | n/a |
| Pikeville | 8% | n/a |
| Barfield | 8% | n/a |
| Smithdale | 7% | 0% |
| Flomaton | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL059 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.7% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 99.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Franklin County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 31% of Franklin 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: 49.77 in, 9.70 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.47 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
99.4% 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 9 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 99.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $45,012 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.77 in (-9.70) |
| 2025 | 59.72 in (+0.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 81.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 34.15 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RUSSELLVILLE #2 (8 mi away) | 19.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,002 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $136,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colbert County, AL | 18 mi | 18% | 17% |
| Marion County, AL | 21 mi | under 1% | 29% |
| Lawrence County, AL | 30 mi | 24% | 39% |
| Tishomingo County, MS | 30 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Itawamba County, MS | 32 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Winston County, AL | 34 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Lauderdale County, AL | 34 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Prentiss County, MS | 41 mi | 15% | 49% |
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