Greene County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 59% of Greene County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties and the 4th highest of 67 Alabama counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 32%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 29 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Greene County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 32.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 58.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 38.3% |
| Mapped soil | 422,580 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Shubuta | 10% | n/a |
| Falaya | 8% | n/a |
| Leaf | 8% | n/a |
| Magnolia | 8% | n/a |
| Ruston | 6% | n/a |
| Angie | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL063 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 38% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 32% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 32% of Greene County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 59% of Greene 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: 46.57 in, 8.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.02 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 51.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
29 flood losses since 2016, $705,214 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 17. Median water depth outside the building: 54 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.57 in (-8.45) |
| 2025 | 57.79 in (+2.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 77.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 31.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WARRIOR L&D (9 mi away) | 18 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,279 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $81,200 |
| Single-family detached | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hale County, AL | 21 mi | 18% | 45% |
| Sumter County, AL | 22 mi | 37% | 62% |
| Pickens County, AL | 32 mi | 6% | 45% |
| Kemper County, MS | 39 mi | 27% | 58% |
| Noxubee County, MS | 39 mi | 60% | 80% |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 40 mi | 1% | 16% |
| Perry County, AL | 41 mi | 23% | 46% |
| Marengo County, AL | 42 mi | 36% | 47% |
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