Limestone County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Limestone County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
77.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 26% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1998.
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 Limestone County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 57.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 388,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Dickson | 16% | n/a |
| Baxter | 12% | n/a |
| Decatur | 9% | n/a |
| Bewleyville | 9% | n/a |
| Dewey | 6% | 0% |
| Guthrie | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL083 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Limestone 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: 51.25 in, 5.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.01 in.
USDA rates 57% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
77.7% 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 20 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 77.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 49.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $226,034 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.01 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.25 in (-5.76) |
| 2025 | 51.81 in (-5.20) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 72.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 31.73 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ATHENS (3 mi away) | 17.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 44,354 |
| Median year built | 1998 |
| Built before 1980 | 26% |
| Built 2000 or later | 47% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $281,000 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, AL | 25 mi | 21% | 37% |
| Morgan County, AL | 26 mi | 16% | 37% |
| Giles County, TN | 27 mi | 11% | 20% |
| Lawrence County, AL | 27 mi | 24% | 39% |
| Lincoln County, TN | 32 mi | 28% | 28% |
| Lawrence County, TN | 36 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Lauderdale County, AL | 39 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Marshall County, TN | 47 mi | 21% | 10% |
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