HomeAlabamaPickens County

Pickens County, Alabama

A shallow water table limits basements on 45% of Pickens County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

45%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

52%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Pickens County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)6.1%
High water table (limits basements)45.4%
Septic fields very limited93.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)6.1%
Mapped soil569,780 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale26%0%
Luverne18%n/a
Savannah8%n/a
Maubila7%n/a
Kinston7%n/a
Mantachie6%n/a
Lowndes County: 66%Noxubee County: 80%Greene County: 59%Tuscaloosa County: 16%Lamar County: 44%Fayette County: 26%Oktibbeha County: 80%Hale County: 45%Pickens County LowndesNoxubeeGreeneTuscaloosaLamarFayetteOktibbehaHalePickens
Pickens County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AL107 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 45% of Pickens 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: 46.53 in, 9.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.40 in.

USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

32 flood losses since 2016, $604,591 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 14. Median water depth outside the building: 33 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
201914
202010
20216
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202056.40 in
12 months to August 202646.53 in (-9.87)
202559.48 in (+3.08)
Wettest year since 18951983: 83.94 in
Driest year since 18952007: 31.96 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALICEVILLE L&D (13 mi away)17.8

Homes

Housing units8,729
Median year built1979
Built before 198052%
Built 2000 or later18%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$123,900
Single-family detached65%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Lowndes County, MS 23 mi 41% 66%
Noxubee County, MS 30 mi 60% 80%
Greene County, AL 32 mi 32% 59%
Tuscaloosa County, AL 33 mi 1% 16%
Lamar County, AL 34 mi under 1% 44%
Fayette County, AL 35 mi 2% 26%
Oktibbeha County, MS 46 mi 43% 80%
Hale County, AL 47 mi 18% 45%

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