Lee County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 22% of Lee County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 23% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
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 Lee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 29.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 394,010 acres |
How we count · survey areas AL081 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 22% of Lee 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: 45.98 in, 7.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.86 in.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 69.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
17 flood losses since 2016, $326,928 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.98 in (-7.88) |
| 2025 | 45.68 in (-8.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 78.97 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 29.26 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OPELIKA (7 mi away) | 16.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 79,619 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 23% |
| Built 2000 or later | 45% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $262,200 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chambers County, AL | 22 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Russell County, AL | 24 mi | 18% | 34% |
| Macon County, AL | 25 mi | 18% | 47% |
| Harris County, GA | 27 mi | 1% | 13% |
| Muscogee County, GA | 29 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Tallapoosa County, AL | 32 mi | 1% | 13% |
| Troup County, GA | 35 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Chattahoochee County, GA | 37 mi | 0% | 12% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status