Okeechobee County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Okeechobee County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
50.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 72.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses here since 2016. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Okeechobee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 570,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Myakka | 24% | 100% |
| Immokalee | 18% | n/a |
| Basinger | 9% | n/a |
| Valkaria | 6% | n/a |
| Floridana | 5% | n/a |
| Placid | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL093 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 85% of Okeechobee 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: 45.86 in, 5.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.74 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
50.4% 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 38 weeks, most recently on the September 15, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 77.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 50.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
28 flood losses since 2016, $241,019 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 17.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.86 in (-5.88) |
| 2025 | 44.17 in (-7.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 71.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 28.71 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OKEECHOBEE (16 mi away) | 14.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,572 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $193,000 |
| Single-family detached | 51% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lucie County, FL | 27 mi | 0% | 89% |
| Highlands County, FL | 28 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Indian River County, FL | 29 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Glades County, FL | 35 mi | 0% | 75% |
| Martin County, FL | 37 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Osceola County, FL | 49 mi | 1% | 88% |
| Palm Beach County, FL | 58 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Hardee County, FL | 58 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