Russell County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 34% of Russell County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 18%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 26 flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Russell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 18.4% |
| Mapped soil | 413,940 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Conecuh | 15% | n/a |
| Luverne | 14% | n/a |
| Springhill | 11% | n/a |
| Troup | 8% | 0% |
| Kinston | 5% | n/a |
| Cowarts | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL113 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 18% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 18% of the mapped land.
On 34% of Russell 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: 44.10 in, 7.31 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.41 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 14.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
26 flood losses since 2016, $959,625 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.10 in (-7.31) |
| 2025 | 42.84 in (-8.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 77.95 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 29.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COLUMBUS METRO AP (21 mi away) | 14.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 27,711 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,700 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee County, GA | 24 mi | 0% | 12% |
| Lee County, AL | 24 mi | 1% | 22% |
| Muscogee County, GA | 24 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Stewart County, GA | 25 mi | 0% | 17% |
| Macon County, AL | 30 mi | 18% | 47% |
| Quitman County, GA | 31 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Barbour County, AL | 32 mi | 5% | 38% |
| Bullock County, AL | 34 mi | 37% | 42% |
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