Jackson County, Alabama
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of Jackson County's mapped land, a higher share than 75% of US counties and the 8th highest of 67 Alabama counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 20%.
77.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Jackson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.8% |
| Mapped soil | 719,049 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Barfield | 20% | n/a |
| Gorgas | 13% | n/a |
| Nauvoo | 9% | n/a |
| Muskingum (Gorgas) | 8% | n/a |
| Hartsells | 6% | n/a |
| Wynnville | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL071 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.2% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 77.9% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Jackson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 20% of Jackson 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: 54.58 in, 3.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.50 in.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
77.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 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 | 77.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 1.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $120,141 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 54.58 in (-3.92) |
| 2025 | 55.79 in (-2.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 79.83 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 33.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SCOTTSBORO (8 mi away) | 18.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,914 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, AL | 23 mi | 2% | 16% |
| Dade County, GA | 28 mi | 6% | 7% |
| Franklin County, TN | 28 mi | 2% | 20% |
| Madison County, AL | 32 mi | 21% | 37% |
| Marion County, TN | 33 mi | under 1% | 7% |
| Marshall County, AL | 37 mi | 6% | 22% |
| Walker County, GA | 38 mi | 7% | 21% |
| Cherokee County, AL | 40 mi | 9% | 14% |
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