Bay County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Bay County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2,834 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 24% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.
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 Bay County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 64.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 564,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rutlege | 9% | n/a |
| Pottsburg | 9% | n/a |
| Leon | 7% | n/a |
| Hurricane | 6% | n/a |
| Lakeland | 6% | 0% |
| Albany | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL005 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 64% of Bay 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: 47.91 in, 10.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.27 in.
USDA rates 80% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2,834 flood losses since 2016, $144.4 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 2,185. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 79% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 33 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 2,185 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 347 |
| 2021 | 178 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.91 in (-10.36) |
| 2025 | 51.07 in (-7.20) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1975: 82.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 35.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PANAMA CITY 5N (9 mi away) | 19.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 108,362 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 24% |
| Built 2000 or later | 40% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $310,500 |
| Single-family detached | 51% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County, FL | 25 mi | 4% | 72% |
| Gulf County, FL | 26 mi | 6% | 92% |
| Washington County, FL | 31 mi | under 1% | 61% |
| Liberty County, FL | 40 mi | 1% | 85% |
| Walton County, FL | 47 mi | 1% | 43% |
| Jackson County, FL | 47 mi | 1% | 49% |
| Holmes County, FL | 51 mi | under 1% | 65% |
| Franklin County, FL | 55 mi | 5% | 91% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status