Forsyth County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Forsyth County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 45.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 27 flood losses here since 2016. 7% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2004.
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 Forsyth County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 158,000 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA117 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.18 in, 14.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.60 in.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Forsyth County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
45.7% 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 22 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 | 45.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
27 flood losses since 2016, $617,604 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.60 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.18 in (-14.42) |
| 2025 | 52.41 in (-3.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2013: 77.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1904: 32.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CUMMING 2N (0 mi away) | 17.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 92,575 |
| Median year built | 2004 |
| Built before 1980 | 7% |
| Built 2000 or later | 63% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $550,400 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, GA | 15 mi | 0% | 7% |
| Hall County, GA | 18 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Gwinnett County, GA | 19 mi | under 1% | 16% |
| Cherokee County, GA | 20 mi | under 1% | 8% |
| Lumpkin County, GA | 25 mi | 0% | 7% |
| Pickens County, GA | 26 mi | 0% | 7% |
| Barrow County, GA | 28 mi | 0% | 8% |
| DeKalb County, GA | 32 mi | under 1% | 9% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status