Banks County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Banks County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 11%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 3.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 28% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.
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 Banks County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 42.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 149,700 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA605 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 39.80 in, 13.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.36 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 11% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Banks County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
3.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 3.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $53,458 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.80 in (-13.56) |
| 2025 | 44.35 in (-9.01) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 77.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2016: 30.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COMMERCE 4 NNW (6 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,479 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $278,100 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, GA | 15 mi | under 1% | 10% |
| Jackson County, GA | 16 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Stephens County, GA | 18 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Hall County, GA | 19 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Habersham County, GA | 20 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Madison County, GA | 22 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| White County, GA | 25 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Barrow County, GA | 28 mi | 0% | 8% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status