Benton County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Benton County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
49.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 3.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Benton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 279,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smithdale | 13% | 0% |
| Lax | 10% | n/a |
| Providence | 9% | n/a |
| Hawthorne | 9% | n/a |
| Sugargrove | 8% | n/a |
| Sengtown | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN005 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 41% of Benton 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: 36.88 in, 16.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.33 in.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
49.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the June 30, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 49.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $194,014 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.33 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.88 in (-16.45) |
| 2025 | 55.13 in (+1.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 76.07 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 34.26 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PARIS 2 SE (19 mi away) | 16.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,569 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,600 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humphreys County, TN | 16 mi | 0% | 24% |
| Henry County, TN | 22 mi | under 1% | 36% |
| Carroll County, TN | 22 mi | 0% | 50% |
| Houston County, TN | 25 mi | 0% | 13% |
| Stewart County, TN | 30 mi | under 1% | 27% |
| Perry County, TN | 30 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Decatur County, TN | 32 mi | 1% | 46% |
| Henderson County, TN | 34 mi | 1% | 40% |
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