Orange County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of Orange County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
50.2% of the county is in drought on the September 22, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,332 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 26% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, September 22, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Orange County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.3% |
| Mapped soil | 631,644 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smyrna | 24% | n/a |
| Candler | 8% | n/a |
| Basinger | 6% | n/a |
| Tavares | 4% | n/a |
| Pomello | 4% | n/a |
| St. Johns | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL095 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 72% of Orange 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: 41.69 in, 9.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.12 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
50.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, September 22, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 72.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 50.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1,332 flood losses since 2016, $69.0 million paid. The worst year was 2022, with 909. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 87% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 4% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 24 |
| 2017 | 219 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 13 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 909 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 106 |
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.12 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.69 in (-9.43) |
| 2025 | 46.69 in (-4.43) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1953: 69.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 30.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ORLANDO INTL AP (6 mi away) | 15 |
Homes
| Housing units | 586,805 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 26% |
| Built 2000 or later | 40% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $390,100 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminole County, FL | 17 mi | 4% | 63% |
| Lake County, FL | 29 mi | 4% | 51% |
| Osceola County, FL | 33 mi | 1% | 88% |
| Volusia County, FL | 39 mi | 3% | 74% |
| Brevard County, FL | 41 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Polk County, FL | 45 mi | 6% | 68% |
| Sumter County, FL | 47 mi | 2% | 77% |
| Marion County, FL | 65 mi | 5% | 35% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status