Alachua County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Alachua County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
76.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 143 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Alachua County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.9% |
| Mapped soil | 620,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Arredondo | 9% | n/a |
| Millhopper | 8% | n/a |
| Pomona | 8% | n/a |
| Candler | 5% | n/a |
| Lochloosa | 4% | n/a |
| Sparr | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL001 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 50% of Alachua 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: 37.88 in, 14.51 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.39 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
76.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 47 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 76.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 4.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
143 flood losses since 2016, $6.4 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 88. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 76% slabs, 12% crawl spaces, 12% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 88 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 28 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.88 in (-14.51) |
| 2025 | 47.66 in (-4.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 74.45 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2006: 37.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GAINESVILLE RGNL AP (5 mi away) | 14.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 127,731 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 54% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $288,800 |
| Single-family detached | 50% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford County, FL | 22 mi | 0% | 93% |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 26 mi | under 1% | 38% |
| Union County, FL | 26 mi | 0% | 94% |
| Putnam County, FL | 36 mi | 1% | 68% |
| Clay County, FL | 36 mi | under 1% | 68% |
| Marion County, FL | 37 mi | 5% | 35% |
| Levy County, FL | 40 mi | 5% | 65% |
| Columbia County, FL | 41 mi | under 1% | 68% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status