Effingham County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Effingham County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 6th highest of 159 Georgia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
99.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 49 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 19% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2001.
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 Effingham County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 92.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.2% |
| Mapped soil | 308,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pelham | 14% | 100% |
| Surrency | 13% | n/a |
| Leefield | 8% | n/a |
| Pickney | 7% | n/a |
| Fuquay | 6% | n/a |
| Blanton | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA103 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 92% of Effingham 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: 28.09 in, 20.07 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.16 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
99.7% 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 35 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 | 99.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
49 flood losses since 2016, $963,961 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 32. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 28% slabs, 23% crawl spaces, 50% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 32 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.09 in (-20.07) |
| 2025 | 44.28 in (-3.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 70.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 29.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAVANNAH INTL AP (18 mi away) | 14 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,943 |
| Median year built | 2001 |
| Built before 1980 | 19% |
| Built 2000 or later | 54% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $276,000 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County, SC | 19 mi | 8% | 91% |
| Bulloch County, GA | 23 mi | under 1% | 76% |
| Bryan County, GA | 24 mi | 9% | 89% |
| Chatham County, GA | 31 mi | 8% | 54% |
| Screven County, GA | 31 mi | 0% | 70% |
| Hampton County, SC | 31 mi | 0% | 99% |
| Evans County, GA | 35 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Beaufort County, SC | 38 mi | 32% | 77% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status