Osceola County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Osceola County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
11.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 37.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 654 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 11% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2002.
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 Osceola County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 88.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 964,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smyrna | 17% | n/a |
| Myakka | 12% | 100% |
| Basinger | 11% | n/a |
| Immokalee | 8% | n/a |
| EauGallie | 5% | n/a |
| Placid | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL097 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 88% of Osceola 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: 42.20 in, 9.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.47 in.
USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
11.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 55.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 11.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
654 flood losses since 2016, $23.9 million paid. The worst year was 2022, with 397. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 90% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 7% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 16 |
| 2017 | 192 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 397 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 22 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.20 in (-9.27) |
| 2025 | 46.50 in (-4.97) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1953: 73.54 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 33.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KISSIMMEE 2 (23 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 171,410 |
| Median year built | 2002 |
| Built before 1980 | 11% |
| Built 2000 or later | 55% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $353,300 |
| Single-family detached | 61% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard County, FL | 31 mi | 3% | 78% |
| Orange County, FL | 33 mi | 1% | 72% |
| Polk County, FL | 35 mi | 6% | 68% |
| Seminole County, FL | 44 mi | 4% | 63% |
| Indian River County, FL | 44 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 49 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Highlands County, FL | 51 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Hardee County, FL | 57 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