Marengo County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Marengo County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties and the 9th highest of 67 Alabama counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 36%.
58.9% 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. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Marengo County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 33.0% |
| Mapped soil | 629,070 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smithdale | 10% | 0% |
| Luverne | 9% | n/a |
| Wilcox | 7% | n/a |
| Sucarnoochee | 5% | n/a |
| Boykin | 5% | n/a |
| Houlka | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL091 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 33% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 36% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 58.9% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 36% of Marengo County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 47% of Marengo 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: 41.74 in, 12.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.07 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
58.9% 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 23 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 | 58.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 37.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 1.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $58,945 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.07 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.74 in (-12.33) |
| 2025 | 44.73 in (-9.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 77.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.36 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DEMOPOLIS L&D (19 mi away) | 17.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,867 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,400 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choctaw County, AL | 33 mi | 10% | 35% |
| Sumter County, AL | 33 mi | 37% | 62% |
| Wilcox County, AL | 34 mi | 33% | 41% |
| Hale County, AL | 35 mi | 18% | 45% |
| Perry County, AL | 39 mi | 23% | 46% |
| Clarke County, AL | 40 mi | 9% | 31% |
| Dallas County, AL | 40 mi | 22% | 51% |
| Greene County, AL | 42 mi | 32% | 59% |
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