Lee County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Lee County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 76 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 15% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1998.
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 Lee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 55.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 231,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Tifton | 18% | 29% |
| Greenville | 10% | n/a |
| Grady | 9% | n/a |
| Troup | 8% | 0% |
| Orangeburg | 7% | 0% |
| Fuquay | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA643 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 54% of Lee 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: 38.77 in, 11.69 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.46 in.
USDA rates 56% 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 36 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 | 50.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
76 flood losses since 2016, $2.3 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 66. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 32% slabs, 30% crawl spaces, 34% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 27 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 66 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.46 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.77 in (-11.69) |
| 2025 | 42.99 in (-7.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 71.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 24.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CRISP CO PWR DAM (12 mi away) | 14.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,012 |
| Median year built | 1998 |
| Built before 1980 | 15% |
| Built 2000 or later | 46% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $231,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County, GA | 16 mi | 0% | 39% |
| Terrell County, GA | 17 mi | 0% | 44% |
| Dougherty County, GA | 20 mi | 9% | 42% |
| Crisp County, GA | 24 mi | 0% | 49% |
| Worth County, GA | 25 mi | 2% | 51% |
| Webster County, GA | 29 mi | 0% | 20% |
| Dooly County, GA | 30 mi | 1% | 52% |
| Turner County, GA | 32 mi | 0% | 41% |
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