Lawrence County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of Lawrence County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24%.
46.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
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 Lawrence County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 23.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.7% |
| Mapped soil | 459,370 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Muskingum (Gorgas) | 18% | n/a |
| Wynnville | 8% | n/a |
| Colbert | 7% | n/a |
| Decatur | 6% | n/a |
| Etowah | 5% | n/a |
| Barfield | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL079 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.5% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 24% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 46.1% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 24% of Lawrence County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 39% of Lawrence 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: 48.59 in, 8.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.49 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
46.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 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 | 46.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $235,824 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.49 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.59 in (-8.90) |
| 2025 | 55.75 in (-1.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 75.76 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 32.28 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOULTON 2 (3 mi away) | 18.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,403 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,300 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston County, AL | 26 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Limestone County, AL | 27 mi | 1% | 42% |
| Morgan County, AL | 28 mi | 16% | 37% |
| Colbert County, AL | 30 mi | 18% | 17% |
| Franklin County, AL | 30 mi | 16% | 31% |
| Lauderdale County, AL | 32 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Cullman County, AL | 38 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Marion County, AL | 42 mi | under 1% | 29% |
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