Wilkes County, Georgia
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 6% of Wilkes County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 10%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 56% 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 Wilkes County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 40.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.8% |
| Mapped soil | 303,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Georgeville | 26% | 0% |
| Pacolet | 16% | 0% |
| Cecil | 16% | 0% |
| Mecklenburg | 6% | n/a |
| Toccoa | 4% | n/a |
| Wedowee | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas GA645 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.14 in, 13.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.72 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 10% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Wilkes County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% 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 32 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Wilkes County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.14 in (-13.58) |
| 2025 | 41.56 in (-4.16) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1929: 81.94 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.25 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WASHINGTON 2 ESE (4 mi away) | 12.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,254 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $122,700 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taliaferro County, GA | 17 mi | 18% | 55% |
| Lincoln County, GA | 17 mi | 8% | 10% |
| Oglethorpe County, GA | 19 mi | 6% | 10% |
| Elbert County, GA | 24 mi | 12% | 19% |
| McDuffie County, GA | 26 mi | 2% | 13% |
| Warren County, GA | 26 mi | 3% | 12% |
| McCormick County, SC | 26 mi | 9% | 19% |
| Greene County, GA | 28 mi | 7% | 28% |
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