Sumter County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Sumter County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 20.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 62 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 10% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2006.
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 Sumter County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.0% |
| Mapped soil | 371,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| EauGallie | 9% | n/a |
| Candler | 7% | n/a |
| Sparr | 6% | n/a |
| Wabasso | 6% | n/a |
| Paisley | 5% | n/a |
| Floridana | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL119 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 77% of Sumter 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: 37.85 in, 12.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.82 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
62 flood losses since 2016, $879,088 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 36. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 47% slabs, 9% crawl spaces, 45% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 36 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.82 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.85 in (-12.97) |
| 2025 | 37.36 in (-13.46) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1960: 75.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 34.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INVERNESS 3 SE (16 mi away) | 15.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 84,068 |
| Median year built | 2006 |
| Built before 1980 | 10% |
| Built 2000 or later | 71% |
| Owner-occupied | 88% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $385,400 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, FL | 22 mi | 4% | 51% |
| Hernando County, FL | 30 mi | 4% | 50% |
| Citrus County, FL | 33 mi | under 1% | 39% |
| Marion County, FL | 34 mi | 5% | 35% |
| Pasco County, FL | 39 mi | 1% | 68% |
| Orange County, FL | 47 mi | 1% | 72% |
| Seminole County, FL | 57 mi | 4% | 63% |
| Polk County, FL | 57 mi | 6% | 68% |
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