Houston County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Houston County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
93.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 34 flood losses here since 2016, 10% of them in buildings with basements. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Houston County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 35.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.2% |
| Mapped soil | 243,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Faceville | 22% | n/a |
| Orangeburg | 16% | 0% |
| Greenville | 10% | n/a |
| Lucy | 9% | n/a |
| Norfolk | 7% | 63% |
| Vaucluse | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA640 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Houston 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: 36.26 in, 11.84 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.10 in.
Drought
93.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 93.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
34 flood losses since 2016, $413,624 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 23. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% basements, 30% slabs, 30% crawl spaces, 30% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 23 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.26 in (-11.84) |
| 2025 | 43.69 in (-4.41) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 67.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 26.10 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MACON MIDDLE GA RGNL AP (16 mi away) | 14 |
Homes
| Housing units | 69,823 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 41% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peach County, GA | 13 mi | under 1% | 17% |
| Pulaski County, GA | 18 mi | 4% | 50% |
| Bleckley County, GA | 19 mi | 1% | 50% |
| Twiggs County, GA | 20 mi | 6% | 26% |
| Dooly County, GA | 23 mi | 1% | 52% |
| Macon County, GA | 24 mi | 2% | 41% |
| Bibb County, GA | 24 mi | 6% | 22% |
| Crawford County, GA | 25 mi | 16% | 17% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status