Suwannee County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Suwannee County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
53.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 82% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 62 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Suwannee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.2% |
| Mapped soil | 443,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Alpin | 27% | n/a |
| Blanton | 25% | n/a |
| Bonneau | 14% | n/a |
| Chipley | 4% | n/a |
| Albany | 4% | n/a |
| Padlock | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL121 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 30% of Suwannee 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: 37.01 in, 16.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.80 in.
USDA rates 60% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
53.9% 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 46 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 84.2% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 53.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
62 flood losses since 2016, $3.1 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 51. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 63% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 29% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 18 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 51 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.80 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.01 in (-16.79) |
| 2025 | 41.82 in (-11.98) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 82.35 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1899: 34.98 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MAYO (13 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,181 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,600 |
| Single-family detached | 45% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County, FL | 18 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Hamilton County, FL | 21 mi | 3% | 65% |
| Columbia County, FL | 22 mi | under 1% | 68% |
| Madison County, FL | 34 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 36 mi | under 1% | 38% |
| Echols County, GA | 36 mi | 1% | 94% |
| Union County, FL | 39 mi | 0% | 94% |
| Taylor County, FL | 42 mi | under 1% | 92% |
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