Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
A shallow water table limits basements on 16% of Tuscaloosa County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
64.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 78.3% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 77 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Tuscaloosa County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Mapped soil | 865,520 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smithdale | 28% | 0% |
| Montevallo | 14% | n/a |
| Nauvoo | 13% | n/a |
| Luverne | 11% | n/a |
| Bama | 4% | n/a |
| Augusta | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AL125 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 16% of Tuscaloosa 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: 45.28 in, 10.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.91 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
64.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the April 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 64.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 21.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 1.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
77 flood losses since 2016, $1.7 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 43. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 72% slabs, 11% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 43 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.91 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.28 in (-10.63) |
| 2025 | 50.62 in (-5.29) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 77.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 31.26 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HOLT L&D (5 mi away) | 16.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 104,290 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $248,700 |
| Single-family detached | 62% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bibb County, AL | 30 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Fayette County, AL | 32 mi | 2% | 26% |
| Pickens County, AL | 33 mi | 6% | 45% |
| Walker County, AL | 37 mi | 0% | 6% |
| Hale County, AL | 38 mi | 18% | 45% |
| Greene County, AL | 40 mi | 32% | 59% |
| Jefferson County, AL | 41 mi | 2% | 3% |
| Perry County, AL | 47 mi | 23% | 46% |
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