Mobile County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Mobile County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
1.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 57% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 749 flood losses here since 2016, 2% of them in buildings with basements. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Mobile County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 46.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.1% |
| Mapped soil | 816,608 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wadley | 17% | n/a |
| Heidel | 8% | n/a |
| Benndale | 5% | n/a |
| Bibb | 4% | n/a |
| Johnston | 4% | n/a |
| Rattlesnake Forks | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL097 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 47% of Mobile 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: 53.52 in, 11.02 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 64.54 in.
USDA rates 71% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
1.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 57.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 1.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
749 flood losses since 2016, $12.7 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 401. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 2% basements, 26% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 68% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 22 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 202 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 401 |
| 2021 | 31 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 to date | 14 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 64.54 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 53.52 in (-11.02) |
| 2025 | 59.69 in (-4.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 85.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 36.56 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOBILE (3 mi away) | 21.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 186,082 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $190,700 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County, AL | 27 mi | 2% | 52% |
| George County, MS | 29 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Jackson County, MS | 30 mi | 0% | 69% |
| Greene County, MS | 45 mi | 21% | 47% |
| Washington County, AL | 50 mi | 5% | 71% |
| Escambia County, FL | 53 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Stone County, MS | 55 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Harrison County, MS | 56 mi | 1% | 76% |
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