Spalding County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Spalding County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
74.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Spalding County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 19.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.5% |
| Mapped soil | 127,800 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA255 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Spalding 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: 37.29 in, 13.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.82 in.
Drought
74.9% 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 41 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 74.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $81,633 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.82 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.29 in (-13.53) |
| 2025 | 47.37 in (-3.45) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 74.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 31.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JONESBORO (19 mi away) | 15.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 28,714 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $228,700 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 | 14 mi | 0% | 15% |
| Henry County, GA | 15 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Lamar County, GA | 15 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Fayette County, GA | 16 mi | 0% | 12% |
| Butts County, GA | 19 mi | under 1% | 13% |
| Clayton County, GA | 21 mi | 0% | 12% |
| Upson County, GA | 26 mi | 3% | 10% |
| Monroe County, GA | 27 mi | 2% | 14% |
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