Bartow County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 18% of Bartow County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 39.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 21 flood losses here since 2016. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Bartow County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.5% |
| Mapped soil | 301,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Fullerton | 9% | 0% |
| Minvale | 8% | n/a |
| Montevallo | 6% | n/a |
| Shack | 5% | n/a |
| Decatur | 5% | n/a |
| Cunningham | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA015 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 18% of Bartow 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: 37.38 in, 13.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.65 in.
USDA rates 66% 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 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 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
21 flood losses since 2016, $414,775 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.38 in (-13.27) |
| 2025 | 40.86 in (-9.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1932: 71.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 27.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CARTERSVILLE #2 (5 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 45,210 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 27% |
| Built 2000 or later | 37% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $289,000 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon County, GA | 19 mi | 6% | 23% |
| Cherokee County, GA | 21 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Floyd County, GA | 21 mi | 9% | 33% |
| Paulding County, GA | 22 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Pickens County, GA | 25 mi | 0% | 7% |
| Cobb County, GA | 26 mi | 1% | 12% |
| Polk County, GA | 26 mi | 1% | 28% |
| Chattooga County, GA | 33 mi | 5% | 31% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status