Taylor County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Taylor County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 10th highest of 66 Florida counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 1.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 415 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Taylor County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 92.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 671,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Leon | 11% | n/a |
| Chaires | 8% | n/a |
| Wekiva | 6% | n/a |
| Tooles | 6% | n/a |
| Clara | 6% | n/a |
| Sapelo | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL123 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 92% of Taylor 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: 36.99 in, 18.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.81 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 51 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 | 2.1% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
415 flood losses since 2016, $33.4 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 194. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 24% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 66% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 56 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 82 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 24 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 28 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 64 |
| 2024 | 194 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.99 in (-18.82) |
| 2025 | 46.45 in (-9.36) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 82.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 35.36 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PERRY (10 mi away) | 17.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,259 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $114,600 |
| Single-family detached | 51% |
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 | 28 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Jefferson County, FL | 34 mi | 0% | 71% |
| Madison County, FL | 35 mi | 0% | 62% |
| Dixie County, FL | 37 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Suwannee County, FL | 42 mi | 1% | 30% |
| Wakulla County, FL | 44 mi | 1% | 76% |
| Leon County, FL | 51 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 54 mi | under 1% | 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