Clarke County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Clarke County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 79.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Clarke County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 17.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 78,000 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA623 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.19 in, 9.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.55 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Clarke County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
79.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 37 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 | 79.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 22.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
14 flood losses since 2016, $109,344 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.19 in (-9.36) |
| 2025 | 52.24 in (+1.69) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 78.07 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 31.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ATHENS BEN EPPS AP (2 mi away) | 15 |
Homes
| Housing units | 57,918 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 41% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $298,900 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oconee County, GA | 9 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Madison County, GA | 15 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Jackson County, GA | 17 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Oglethorpe County, GA | 18 mi | 6% | 10% |
| Barrow County, GA | 20 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Walton County, GA | 24 mi | 1% | 12% |
| Morgan County, GA | 26 mi | under 1% | 14% |
| Greene County, GA | 28 mi | 7% | 28% |
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