Charlotte County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Charlotte County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
13.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 45.5% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 8,931 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 25% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Charlotte County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.2% |
| Urban land, not rated | 7.5% |
| Mapped soil | 506,141 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pineda | 10% | n/a |
| Wabasso | 10% | n/a |
| Oldsmar | 9% | n/a |
| Malabar | 7% | n/a |
| Immokalee | 5% | n/a |
| Felda | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL015 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 77% of Charlotte 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: 39.76 in, 12.89 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.65 in.
USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
13.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 94.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 13.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8,931 flood losses since 2016, $463.7 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 6,250. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 73% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 24% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 21 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 21 |
| 2017 | 251 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 33 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 2,192 |
| 2023 | 154 |
| 2024 | 6,250 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.76 in (-12.89) |
| 2025 | 40.13 in (-12.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 80.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 33.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PUNTA GORDA 4 ESE (1 mi away) | 18.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 118,679 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 25% |
| Built 2000 or later | 36% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $328,900 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County, FL | 23 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Lee County, FL | 24 mi | 0% | 59% |
| Sarasota County, FL | 34 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Hardee County, FL | 42 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Manatee County, FL | 46 mi | under 1% | 90% |
| Glades County, FL | 50 mi | 0% | 75% |
| Highlands County, FL | 51 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Hendry County, FL | 58 mi | 0% | 98% |
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