Putnam County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Putnam County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
17.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 98.2% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 414 flood losses here since 2016, 2% of them in buildings with basements. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Putnam County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.6% |
| Mapped soil | 527,401 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Myakka | 10% | 100% |
| Pomona | 8% | n/a |
| Candler | 7% | n/a |
| Astatula | 4% | n/a |
| Tavares | 4% | n/a |
| Terra Ceia | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL107 (2025-08-28), FL609 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 68% of Putnam 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: 38.68 in, 14.10 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.78 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
17.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 40 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 98.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 17.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
414 flood losses since 2016, $8.9 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 188. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 2% basements, 40% slabs, 20% crawl spaces, 38% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 115 |
| 2017 | 188 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 61 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 37 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.68 in (-14.10) |
| 2025 | 45.19 in (-7.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 74.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2006: 33.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FEDERAL PT (18 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 37,065 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,300 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagler County, FL | 29 mi | 6% | 93% |
| Clay County, FL | 29 mi | under 1% | 68% |
| Marion County, FL | 31 mi | 5% | 35% |
| St. Johns County, FL | 31 mi | 5% | 88% |
| Bradford County, FL | 36 mi | 0% | 93% |
| Alachua County, FL | 36 mi | 3% | 50% |
| Union County, FL | 49 mi | 0% | 94% |
| Volusia County, FL | 50 mi | 3% | 74% |
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