Gilchrist County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Gilchrist County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
72.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 81.7% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 21% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
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 Gilchrist County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.4% |
| Mapped soil | 227,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Penney | 25% | n/a |
| Otela | 9% | n/a |
| Ridgewood | 6% | n/a |
| Albany | 5% | n/a |
| Kershaw | 5% | n/a |
| Alpin | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL041 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Gilchrist 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: 37.98 in, 16.38 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.36 in.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
72.6% 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 September 8, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 72.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 20.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
20 flood losses since 2016, $243,430 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.98 in (-16.38) |
| 2025 | 46.72 in (-7.64) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 74.73 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1955: 36.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CROSS CITY 1 E (20 mi away) | 17.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,863 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 44% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $199,900 |
| Single-family detached | 48% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County, FL | 26 mi | 3% | 50% |
| Dixie County, FL | 29 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Levy County, FL | 30 mi | 5% | 65% |
| Lafayette County, FL | 31 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Union County, FL | 35 mi | 0% | 94% |
| Suwannee County, FL | 36 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Columbia County, FL | 37 mi | under 1% | 68% |
| Bradford County, FL | 41 mi | 0% | 93% |
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