Clay County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Clay County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 13%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Clay County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 49.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 138,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | 15% | 0% |
| Cowarts | 10% | n/a |
| Nankin | 9% | n/a |
| Lucy | 7% | n/a |
| Faceville | 7% | n/a |
| Red Bay | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA658 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.42 in, 11.19 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.61 in.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 13% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Clay County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 36 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Clay County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.61 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.42 in (-11.19) |
| 2025 | 44.18 in (-8.43) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1948: 82.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 27.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CUTHBERT (15 mi away) | 17.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,981 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $94,400 |
| Single-family detached | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County, AL | 17 mi | 2% | 23% |
| Quitman County, GA | 17 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Randolph County, GA | 17 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Early County, GA | 21 mi | 3% | 36% |
| Calhoun County, GA | 22 mi | 1% | 39% |
| Barbour County, AL | 30 mi | 5% | 38% |
| Stewart County, GA | 32 mi | 0% | 17% |
| Terrell County, GA | 34 mi | 0% | 44% |
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