Lake County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Lake County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 90.3% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 287 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 22% 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 Lake County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.3% |
| Mapped soil | 706,374 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Candler | 15% | n/a |
| Myakka | 10% | 100% |
| Tavares | 4% | n/a |
| Apopka | 3% | n/a |
| Placid | 3% | n/a |
| Astatula | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL607 (2025-08-28), FL609 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 51% of Lake 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: 38.42 in, 12.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.75 in.
USDA rates 80% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the August 25, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 95.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
287 flood losses since 2016, $6.0 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 108. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 56% slabs, 18% crawl spaces, 26% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 108 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 57 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 74 |
| 2025 | 19 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.75 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.42 in (-12.33) |
| 2025 | 39.87 in (-10.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1959: 68.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 32.23 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LISBON (9 mi away) | 14.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 187,580 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 22% |
| Built 2000 or later | 45% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $318,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County, FL | 22 mi | 2% | 77% |
| Orange County, FL | 29 mi | 1% | 72% |
| Seminole County, FL | 35 mi | 4% | 63% |
| Marion County, FL | 36 mi | 5% | 35% |
| Volusia County, FL | 39 mi | 3% | 74% |
| Hernando County, FL | 51 mi | 4% | 50% |
| Citrus County, FL | 54 mi | under 1% | 39% |
| Flagler County, FL | 56 mi | 6% | 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