Morgan County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Morgan County's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 29 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Morgan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.8% |
| Mapped soil | 383,460 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wynnville | 8% | n/a |
| Muskingum (Gorgas) | 7% | n/a |
| Barfield | 6% | n/a |
| Enders | 4% | n/a |
| Nauvoo | 4% | n/a |
| Allen | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL103 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.2% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 37% of Morgan 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: 52.56 in, 3.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.31 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 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 | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
29 flood losses since 2016, $377,733 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 15.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.31 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 52.56 in (-3.75) |
| 2025 | 52.12 in (-4.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 71.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 29.60 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HUNTSVILLE INTL AP (14 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 53,905 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $212,000 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cullman County, AL | 22 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Limestone County, AL | 26 mi | 1% | 42% |
| Madison County, AL | 27 mi | 21% | 37% |
| Lawrence County, AL | 28 mi | 24% | 39% |
| Marshall County, AL | 32 mi | 6% | 22% |
| Winston County, AL | 36 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Blount County, AL | 37 mi | 9% | 10% |
| Lincoln County, TN | 50 mi | 28% | 28% |
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