Broward County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Broward County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
The soil survey maps 67% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 44.3% of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 8,553 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, September 22, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Broward County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 8.2% |
| Mapped soil | 513,209 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Shark Valley | 17% | n/a |
| Hallandale | 9% | n/a |
| Macks Camp | 8% | n/a |
| Cooper Town | 7% | n/a |
| Margate | 6% | n/a |
| Lauderhill | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL606 (2025-08-29), FL615 (2025-09-02), FL616 (2025-09-02), FL618 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 83% of Broward 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: 46.78 in, 13.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.90 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
44.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, September 22, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 44.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 14.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8,553 flood losses since 2016, $349.5 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 3,723. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 91% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 2% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 95 |
| 2017 | 1,917 |
| 2018 | 97 |
| 2019 | 377 |
| 2020 | 1,382 |
| 2021 | 57 |
| 2022 | 126 |
| 2023 | 3,723 |
| 2024 | 657 |
| 2025 | 91 |
| 2026 to date | 31 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.90 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.78 in (-13.12) |
| 2025 | 42.29 in (-17.61) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 85.99 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 37.51 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT LAUDERDALE (18 mi away) | 20.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 866,019 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $414,600 |
| Single-family detached | 40% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County, FL | 32 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 40 mi | 1% | 55% |
| Hendry County, FL | 48 mi | 0% | 98% |
| Monroe County, FL | 54 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Collier County, FL | 58 mi | 0% | 82% |
| Martin County, FL | 62 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Glades County, FL | 69 mi | 0% | 75% |
| St. Lucie County, FL | 82 mi | 0% | 89% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status