Meriwether County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 15% of Meriwether County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
59.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 83.5% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Meriwether County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 30.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 323,080 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA199 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 15% of Meriwether 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: 40.82 in, 10.50 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.32 in.
Drought
59.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 59.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 23.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Meriwether County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.32 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.82 in (-10.50) |
| 2025 | 42.88 in (-8.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 73.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 29.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WOODBURY (5 mi away) | 14.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,820 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $168,800 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County, GA | 16 mi | 0% | 15% |
| Troup County, GA | 21 mi | 0% | 11% |
| Coweta County, GA | 23 mi | 0% | 14% |
| Talbot County, GA | 24 mi | 2% | 15% |
| Upson County, GA | 24 mi | 3% | 10% |
| Harris County, GA | 25 mi | 1% | 13% |
| Spalding County, GA | 27 mi | 3% | 17% |
| Fayette County, GA | 28 mi | 0% | 12% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status