Talladega County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Talladega County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 5.4% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Talladega County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.3% |
| Mapped soil | 486,460 acres |
How we count · survey areas AL121 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Talladega 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: 48.39 in, 6.89 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.28 in.
USDA rates 68% 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 25 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 | 13.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
28 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2022, with 11. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 8% slabs, 46% crawl spaces, 46% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.39 in (-6.89) |
| 2025 | 56.86 in (+1.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1920: 76.45 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 26.02 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TALLADEGA (4 mi away) | 18.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 38,547 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $149,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, AL | 19 mi | 2% | 15% |
| St. Clair County, AL | 25 mi | 0% | 12% |
| Shelby County, AL | 29 mi | 2% | 9% |
| Coosa County, AL | 31 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Calhoun County, AL | 34 mi | 7% | 20% |
| Tallapoosa County, AL | 41 mi | 1% | 13% |
| Randolph County, AL | 41 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Cleburne County, AL | 43 mi | 0% | 9% |
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