Tift County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 53% of Tift County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Tift County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 8.3% |
| Mapped soil | 172,000 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA277 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 53% of Tift 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: 36.84 in, 11.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.70 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 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
15 flood losses since 2016, $100,014 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.84 in (-11.86) |
| 2025 | 34.67 in (-14.03) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 71.36 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 24.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TIFTON (3 mi away) | 14.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,751 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,200 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irwin County, GA | 18 mi | under 1% | 57% |
| Turner County, GA | 19 mi | 0% | 41% |
| Worth County, GA | 20 mi | 2% | 51% |
| Berrien County, GA | 21 mi | 0% | 73% |
| Cook County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 68% |
| Colquitt County, GA | 23 mi | 0% | 55% |
| Ben Hill County, GA | 29 mi | 2% | 50% |
| Crisp County, GA | 35 mi | 0% | 49% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status