Jefferson County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 71% of Jefferson County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% 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 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Jefferson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 392,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg | 10% | 0% |
| Chaires | 9% | n/a |
| Surrency | 8% | n/a |
| Dothan | 8% | over 99% |
| Plummer | 7% | n/a |
| Tooles | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL065 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 71% of Jefferson 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: 33.82 in, 21.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.87 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 41 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 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 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.87 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.82 in (-21.05) |
| 2025 | 43.31 in (-11.56) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 84.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.81 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TALLAHASSEE (24 mi away) | 17.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,886 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $232,600 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon County, FL | 22 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Madison County, FL | 27 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Thomas County, GA | 32 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Wakulla County, FL | 34 mi | 1% | 76% |
| Taylor County, FL | 34 mi | under 1% | 92% |
| Brooks County, GA | 36 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Grady County, GA | 38 mi | 0% | 46% |
| Gadsden County, FL | 43 mi | under 1% | 43% |
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