Heard County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 0% of Heard County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 12%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 96.9% 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. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Heard County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 11.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 46.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 192,800 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA629 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.67 in, 10.02 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.69 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 12% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Heard County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
96.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 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 | 96.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 58.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Heard County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.67 in (-10.02) |
| 2025 | 47.47 in (-6.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 75.91 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 32.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CARROLLTON (21 mi away) | 16.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,818 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $186,800 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County, AL | 19 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Troup County, GA | 19 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Carroll County, GA | 20 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Coweta County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 14% |
| Chambers County, AL | 30 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Meriwether County, GA | 33 mi | under 1% | 15% |
| Cleburne County, AL | 34 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Haralson County, GA | 35 mi | under 1% | 12% |
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