Whitfield County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 33% of Whitfield County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
5.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 7.1% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Whitfield County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 32.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.9% |
| Mapped soil | 186,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Townley | 17% | n/a |
| Shack | 9% | n/a |
| Montevallo | 9% | n/a |
| Bodine | 8% | 0% |
| Minvale | 6% | n/a |
| Conasauga | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA648 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
On 33% of Whitfield 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: 40.14 in, 14.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.51 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
5.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 5.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
19 flood losses since 2016, $3.8 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.51 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.14 in (-14.37) |
| 2025 | 54.87 in (+0.36) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1989: 72.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 31.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHATSWORTH 2 (12 mi away) | 17.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 39,806 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $218,000 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catoosa County, GA | 12 mi | 18% | 22% |
| Murray County, GA | 13 mi | 4% | 18% |
| Walker County, GA | 20 mi | 7% | 21% |
| Gordon County, GA | 21 mi | 6% | 23% |
| Bradley County, TN | 25 mi | under 1% | 14% |
| Hamilton County, TN | 28 mi | 8% | 13% |
| Gilmer County, GA | 30 mi | 0% | 6% |
| Dade County, GA | 31 mi | 6% | 7% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status