McIntosh County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 81% of McIntosh County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 53 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 22% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
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 McIntosh County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.9% |
| Mapped soil | 306,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Weston | 8% | n/a |
| Bayboro | 8% | n/a |
| Bladen | 7% | n/a |
| Leon | 6% | n/a |
| Rutlege | 5% | n/a |
| Ona | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA191 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
On 81% of McIntosh 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: 34.72 in, 13.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.52 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 46 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 | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
53 flood losses since 2016, $942,079 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 38. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 35% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 62% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 38 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.52 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.72 in (-13.80) |
| 2025 | 46.76 in (-1.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 70.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 31.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAPELO IS (8 mi away) | 14.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,850 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 22% |
| Built 2000 or later | 44% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $182,700 |
| Single-family detached | 59% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glynn County, GA | 20 mi | 30% | 87% |
| Liberty County, GA | 23 mi | 16% | 89% |
| Long County, GA | 28 mi | 6% | 89% |
| Wayne County, GA | 32 mi | under 1% | 85% |
| Bryan County, GA | 37 mi | 9% | 89% |
| Chatham County, GA | 38 mi | 8% | 54% |
| Brantley County, GA | 41 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Camden County, GA | 43 mi | 23% | 92% |
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