Liberty County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Liberty County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 9th highest of 159 Georgia counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 126 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 23% 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 Liberty County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.6% |
| Mapped soil | 346,684 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bohicket | 10% | n/a |
| Bayboro | 8% | n/a |
| Ellabelle | 6% | n/a |
| Ocilla | 6% | n/a |
| Mascotte | 6% | n/a |
| Pelham | 6% | 100% |
How we count · survey areas GA644 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.1% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 89% of Liberty 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: 31.21 in, 17.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.86 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 30.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
126 flood losses since 2016, $2.8 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 65. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 65% slabs, 9% crawl spaces, 24% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 22 |
| 2017 | 65 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 18 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.21 in (-17.65) |
| 2025 | 43.08 in (-5.78) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 68.88 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 28.69 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT STEWART (11 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 27,675 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 23% |
| Built 2000 or later | 36% |
| Owner-occupied | 51% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $201,500 |
| Single-family detached | 57% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan County, GA | 14 mi | 9% | 89% |
| Long County, GA | 18 mi | 6% | 89% |
| McIntosh County, GA | 23 mi | 25% | 81% |
| Chatham County, GA | 24 mi | 8% | 54% |
| Wayne County, GA | 33 mi | under 1% | 85% |
| Evans County, GA | 35 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Effingham County, GA | 39 mi | 2% | 92% |
| Tattnall County, GA | 40 mi | 1% | 71% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status