Glades County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 75% of Glades County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
61.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 63.1% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
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 Glades County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 75.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 582,340 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Immokalee | 16% | n/a |
| Basinger | 9% | n/a |
| Felda | 6% | n/a |
| Valkaria | 6% | n/a |
| Malabar | 5% | n/a |
| Myakka | 5% | 100% |
How we count · survey areas FL043 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 75% of Glades 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: 37.45 in, 13.66 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.11 in.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
61.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 84.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 61.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $103,535 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.45 in (-13.66) |
| 2025 | 46.64 in (-4.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 72.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 32.75 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOORE HAVEN LOCK 1 (10 mi away) | 14 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,690 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $137,000 |
| Single-family detached | 41% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands County, FL | 28 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Hendry County, FL | 29 mi | 0% | 98% |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 35 mi | 0% | 85% |
| DeSoto County, FL | 41 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Martin County, FL | 50 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Charlotte County, FL | 50 mi | 0% | 77% |
| Palm Beach County, FL | 50 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Hardee County, FL | 54 mi | under 1% | 99% |
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