Bulloch County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 76% of Bulloch County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
16.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 96 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 28% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1995.
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 Bulloch County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 440,800 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA031 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 76% of Bulloch 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: 29.27 in, 18.19 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.46 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
16.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 37.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 16.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
96 flood losses since 2016, $4.2 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 75. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 41% slabs, 22% crawl spaces, 37% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 29 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 75 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.46 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.27 in (-18.19) |
| 2025 | 43.29 in (-4.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 67.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 29.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BROOKLET 1 W (4 mi away) | 14.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 34,182 |
| Median year built | 1995 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 40% |
| Owner-occupied | 53% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $222,500 |
| Single-family detached | 55% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evans County, GA | 19 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Candler County, GA | 19 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Effingham County, GA | 23 mi | 2% | 92% |
| Screven County, GA | 25 mi | 0% | 70% |
| Tattnall County, GA | 31 mi | 1% | 71% |
| Jenkins County, GA | 31 mi | 9% | 65% |
| Bryan County, GA | 31 mi | 9% | 89% |
| Emanuel County, GA | 35 mi | 6% | 54% |
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