Polk County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Polk County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
68.2% 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 856 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 30% 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 Polk County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.8% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,241,941 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Candler | 8% | n/a |
| Smyrna | 7% | n/a |
| Pomona | 7% | n/a |
| Myakka | 6% | 100% |
| Tavares | 5% | n/a |
| Samsula | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL105 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 68% of Polk 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: 39.60 in, 13.02 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.62 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
68.2% 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 35 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 | 68.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
856 flood losses since 2016, $37.5 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 396. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 71% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 21% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 252 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 146 |
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 396 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.62 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.60 in (-13.02) |
| 2025 | 42.51 in (-10.11) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1959: 73.95 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 34.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MTN LAKE (6 mi away) | 17.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 340,748 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $266,500 |
| Single-family detached | 62% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee County, FL | 32 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Osceola County, FL | 35 mi | 1% | 88% |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 42 mi | 1% | 78% |
| Orange County, FL | 45 mi | 1% | 72% |
| Highlands County, FL | 47 mi | 0% | 80% |
| DeSoto County, FL | 53 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Manatee County, FL | 53 mi | under 1% | 90% |
| Pasco County, FL | 55 mi | 1% | 68% |
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