Manatee County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 90% of Manatee County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
76.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 7,288 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 33% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Manatee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 511,315 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Myakka | 17% | 100% |
| EauGallie | 16% | n/a |
| Waveland | 10% | n/a |
| Pomello | 4% | n/a |
| Wabasso | 4% | n/a |
| Cassia | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL081 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 90% of Manatee 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: 35.48 in, 18.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.11 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
76.7% 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 49 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 76.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 56.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7,288 flood losses since 2016, $623.8 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 6,128. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 65% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 30% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 23 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 121 |
| 2017 | 276 |
| 2018 | 56 |
| 2019 | 60 |
| 2020 | 156 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 127 |
| 2023 | 345 |
| 2024 | 6,128 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 to date | 6 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.48 in (-18.63) |
| 2025 | 40.22 in (-13.89) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1959: 79.54 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1944: 36.45 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BRADENTON 5 ESE (7 mi away) | 16.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 221,234 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $391,400 |
| Single-family detached | 54% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota County, FL | 18 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 29 mi | 1% | 78% |
| Hardee County, FL | 35 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Pinellas County, FL | 39 mi | 0% | 38% |
| DeSoto County, FL | 41 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Charlotte County, FL | 46 mi | 0% | 77% |
| Polk County, FL | 53 mi | 6% | 68% |
| Pasco County, FL | 58 mi | 1% | 68% |
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