Irwin County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 57% of Irwin County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Irwin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 232,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tifton | 30% | 29% |
| Alapaha | 13% | n/a |
| Plummer | 8% | n/a |
| Fuquay | 6% | n/a |
| Ocilla | 5% | n/a |
| Carnegie | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA608 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 57% of Irwin 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: 39.42 in, 8.31 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.73 in.
USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% 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 35 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $1,432 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.73 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.42 in (-8.31) |
| 2025 | 37.61 in (-10.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 69.42 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 24.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TIFTON (16 mi away) | 14.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,223 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $105,600 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Hill County, GA | 11 mi | 2% | 50% |
| Tift County, GA | 18 mi | 0% | 53% |
| Turner County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Berrien County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Coffee County, GA | 26 mi | 0% | 63% |
| Wilcox County, GA | 27 mi | 5% | 55% |
| Telfair County, GA | 30 mi | 1% | 61% |
| Atkinson County, GA | 32 mi | 0% | 84% |
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