Chattooga County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Chattooga County's mapped land, a higher share than 50% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Chattooga County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.0% |
| Mapped soil | 200,700 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA621 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 31% of Chattooga 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: 44.51 in, 11.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.88 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $173,574 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.88 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.51 in (-11.37) |
| 2025 | 52.80 in (-3.08) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1932: 75.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 32.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SUMMERVILLE (3 mi away) | 20.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,882 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $115,600 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floyd County, GA | 16 mi | 9% | 33% |
| Cherokee County, AL | 17 mi | 9% | 14% |
| Walker County, GA | 18 mi | 7% | 21% |
| DeKalb County, AL | 26 mi | 2% | 16% |
| Gordon County, GA | 27 mi | 6% | 23% |
| Dade County, GA | 28 mi | 6% | 7% |
| Whitfield County, GA | 31 mi | 6% | 33% |
| Catoosa County, GA | 32 mi | 18% | 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