Pasco County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Pasco County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
2.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 77.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 6,560 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 28% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Pasco County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 481,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tavares | 8% | n/a |
| Pomona | 7% | n/a |
| Sellers | 7% | n/a |
| Candler | 6% | n/a |
| Smyrna | 6% | n/a |
| Adamsville | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL101 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 68% of Pasco 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: 41.10 in, 11.72 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.82 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
2.9% 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 27 weeks, most recently on the August 4, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 2.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6,560 flood losses since 2016, $572.5 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4,922. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 80% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 17% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 26 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 465 |
| 2017 | 216 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 20 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 22 |
| 2022 | 30 |
| 2023 | 818 |
| 2024 | 4,922 |
| 2025 | 16 |
| 2026 to date | 8 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.82 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.10 in (-11.72) |
| 2025 | 40.45 in (-12.37) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1959: 75.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 37.96 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAINT LEO (15 mi away) | 16.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 271,844 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $300,900 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hernando County, FL | 17 mi | 4% | 50% |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 29 mi | 1% | 78% |
| Pinellas County, FL | 33 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Citrus County, FL | 38 mi | under 1% | 39% |
| Sumter County, FL | 39 mi | 2% | 77% |
| Polk County, FL | 55 mi | 6% | 68% |
| Lake County, FL | 58 mi | 4% | 51% |
| Manatee County, FL | 58 mi | under 1% | 90% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status