Lafayette County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Lafayette County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
43% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 58.4% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 35% 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 Lafayette County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 350,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Chaires | 13% | n/a |
| Penney | 11% | n/a |
| Leon | 9% | n/a |
| Pamlico | 7% | n/a |
| Dorovan | 6% | n/a |
| Otela | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL067 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 85% of Lafayette 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: 38.95 in, 16.41 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.36 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
43% 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 46 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 77.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 43% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $21,912 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.95 in (-16.41) |
| 2025 | 44.68 in (-10.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 79.57 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1955: 36.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MAYO (8 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,347 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,200 |
| Single-family detached | 57% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suwannee County, FL | 18 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Taylor County, FL | 28 mi | under 1% | 92% |
| Dixie County, FL | 31 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 31 mi | under 1% | 38% |
| Madison County, FL | 36 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Columbia County, FL | 37 mi | under 1% | 68% |
| Hamilton County, FL | 38 mi | 3% | 65% |
| Union County, FL | 49 mi | 0% | 94% |
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