Ben Hill County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Ben Hill County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Ben Hill County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.4% |
| Mapped soil | 162,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tifton | 16% | 29% |
| Fuquay | 15% | n/a |
| Esto | 11% | n/a |
| Alapaha | 10% | n/a |
| Plummer | 9% | n/a |
| Cowarts | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA608 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 50% of Ben Hill 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: 40.27 in, 7.04 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.31 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 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
2 flood losses since 2016, $20,451 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.31 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.27 in (-7.04) |
| 2025 | 39.45 in (-7.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 68.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 24.25 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TIFTON (27 mi away) | 14.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,141 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $112,700 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irwin County, GA | 11 mi | under 1% | 57% |
| Telfair County, GA | 19 mi | 1% | 61% |
| Coffee County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Wilcox County, GA | 23 mi | 5% | 55% |
| Turner County, GA | 27 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Tift County, GA | 29 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Dodge County, GA | 30 mi | 1% | 50% |
| Berrien County, GA | 31 mi | 0% | 73% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status