Walton County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 43% of Walton County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% 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 294 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 12% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2001.
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 Walton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 43.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.7% |
| Mapped soil | 734,900 acres |
How we count · survey areas FL131 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 43% of Walton 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: 53.96 in, 8.04 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 62.00 in.
USDA rates 74% 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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
294 flood losses since 2016, $6.0 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 188. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 65% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 31% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2018 | 51 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 188 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 62.00 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 53.96 in (-8.04) |
| 2025 | 54.32 in (-7.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1975: 87.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 32.06 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NICEVILLE (20 mi away) | 22.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 61,272 |
| Median year built | 2001 |
| Built before 1980 | 12% |
| Built 2000 or later | 54% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $425,100 |
| Single-family detached | 57% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa County, FL | 26 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Holmes County, FL | 28 mi | under 1% | 65% |
| Washington County, FL | 30 mi | under 1% | 61% |
| Geneva County, AL | 41 mi | 1% | 55% |
| Bay County, FL | 47 mi | 0% | 64% |
| Covington County, AL | 49 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 52 mi | 1% | 37% |
| Coffee County, AL | 58 mi | 3% | 22% |
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