Wayne County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Wayne County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Wayne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 414,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rutlege | 16% | n/a |
| Plummer | 16% | n/a |
| Leon | 9% | n/a |
| Ona | 7% | n/a |
| Lakeland | 7% | 0% |
| Klej | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA305 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 85% of Wayne 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: 36.33 in, 12.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.94 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 43 weeks, most recently on the August 25, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 66.7% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.33 in (-12.61) |
| 2025 | 43.10 in (-5.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1964: 72.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 30.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT STEWART (28 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,704 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $162,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long County, GA | 17 mi | 6% | 89% |
| Pierce County, GA | 22 mi | 0% | 87% |
| Brantley County, GA | 25 mi | under 1% | 96% |
| Appling County, GA | 26 mi | 0% | 75% |
| Bacon County, GA | 32 mi | 0% | 82% |
| McIntosh County, GA | 32 mi | 25% | 81% |
| Liberty County, GA | 33 mi | 16% | 89% |
| Glynn County, GA | 34 mi | 30% | 87% |
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