Richmond County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 26% of Richmond County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 142 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Richmond County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 25.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 42.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 6.0% |
| Mapped soil | 210,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Troup | 26% | 0% |
| Lakeland | 8% | 0% |
| Orangeburg | 7% | 0% |
| Ailey | 6% | n/a |
| Vaucluse | 6% | n/a |
| Bibb | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA245 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 26% of Richmond 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: 29.92 in, 15.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.74 in.
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 25 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 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
142 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 64. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 49% slabs, 35% crawl spaces, 11% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 27 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 64 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.92 in (-15.82) |
| 2025 | 40.34 in (-5.40) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 69.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 28.19 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at AUGUSTA BUSH FLD AP (6 mi away) | 12.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 93,145 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 51% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $178,500 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, GA | 17 mi | 7% | 12% |
| Burke County, GA | 21 mi | under 1% | 53% |
| McDuffie County, GA | 25 mi | 2% | 13% |
| Aiken County, SC | 29 mi | under 1% | 32% |
| Jefferson County, GA | 29 mi | 1% | 41% |
| Edgefield County, SC | 30 mi | 3% | 18% |
| Glascock County, GA | 32 mi | under 1% | 30% |
| Warren County, GA | 35 mi | 3% | 12% |
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