Upson County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 3% of Upson County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 10%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 43.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 72.5% a week earlier.
FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Upson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 37.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.3% |
| Mapped soil | 208,500 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA642 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 39.12 in, 10.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.05 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on 10% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Upson County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
43.3% 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 33 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 | 43.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $115,234 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.05 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.12 in (-10.93) |
| 2025 | 44.54 in (-5.51) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 74.45 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 29.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TALBOTTON (19 mi away) | 15.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,434 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $168,700 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 | 15 mi | 0% | 15% |
| Lamar County, GA | 16 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Talbot County, GA | 18 mi | 2% | 15% |
| Crawford County, GA | 22 mi | 16% | 17% |
| Taylor County, GA | 23 mi | 2% | 10% |
| Monroe County, GA | 23 mi | 2% | 14% |
| Meriwether County, GA | 24 mi | under 1% | 15% |
| Spalding County, GA | 26 mi | 3% | 17% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status