Dawson County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Dawson County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 67.7% 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. 17% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1999.
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 Dawson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 137,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Hayesville | 31% | 0% |
| Tallapoosa | 26% | n/a |
| Fannin | 14% | n/a |
| Tusquitee | 4% | n/a |
| Cartecay | 3% | n/a |
| Edneyville | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA632 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 49.90 in, 10.70 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 60.60 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Dawson County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
67.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the July 14, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 67.7% |
| 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 Dawson County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 60.60 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.90 in (-10.70) |
| 2025 | 54.80 in (-5.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2013: 86.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1904: 37.09 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CUMMING 2N (15 mi away) | 17.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,992 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 17% |
| Built 2000 or later | 47% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $406,700 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumpkin County, GA | 13 mi | 0% | 7% |
| Forsyth County, GA | 15 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Pickens County, GA | 18 mi | 0% | 7% |
| Hall County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Cherokee County, GA | 22 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Gilmer County, GA | 23 mi | 0% | 6% |
| White County, GA | 28 mi | 0% | 8% |
| Union County, GA | 29 mi | 0% | 6% |
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