Santa Rosa County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Santa Rosa County's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,450 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 20% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1998.
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 Santa Rosa County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 59.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 731,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Troup | 18% | 0% |
| Lakeland | 13% | 0% |
| Dothan | 9% | over 99% |
| Orangeburg | 5% | 0% |
| Bonifay | 4% | n/a |
| Fuquay | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL113 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 37% of Santa Rosa 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: 50.52 in, 12.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 62.67 in.
USDA rates 59% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1,450 flood losses since 2016, $35.3 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1,322. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 47% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 48% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 28 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 52 |
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1,322 |
| 2021 | 14 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 14 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 62.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.52 in (-12.15) |
| 2025 | 52.07 in (-10.60) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 90.36 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.47 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WHITING FLD NAS (3 mi away) | 16.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 80,002 |
| Median year built | 1998 |
| Built before 1980 | 20% |
| Built 2000 or later | 46% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $329,800 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escambia County, FL | 21 mi | 0% | 47% |
| Okaloosa County, FL | 26 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Escambia County, AL | 32 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Baldwin County, AL | 43 mi | 2% | 52% |
| Walton County, FL | 52 mi | 1% | 43% |
| Covington County, AL | 52 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Conecuh County, AL | 52 mi | 10% | 24% |
| Monroe County, AL | 66 mi | 12% | 38% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status