Gordon County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 23% of Gordon County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
17.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 41% 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 Gordon County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 227,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Montevallo | 16% | n/a |
| Townley | 15% | n/a |
| Shellbluff | 9% | n/a |
| Shack | 6% | n/a |
| Minvale | 5% | n/a |
| Ketona | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA129 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 23% of Gordon 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: 40.61 in, 11.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.43 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
17.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 17.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
19 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.43 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.61 in (-11.82) |
| 2025 | 48.88 in (-3.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1920: 72.99 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 28.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ADAIRSVILLE 5 SE (12 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 23,562 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $222,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bartow County, GA | 19 mi | 0% | 18% |
| Whitfield County, GA | 21 mi | 6% | 33% |
| Murray County, GA | 21 mi | 4% | 18% |
| Pickens County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 7% |
| Floyd County, GA | 26 mi | 9% | 33% |
| Gilmer County, GA | 27 mi | 0% | 6% |
| Chattooga County, GA | 27 mi | 5% | 31% |
| Walker County, GA | 29 mi | 7% | 21% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status