Carroll County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Carroll County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
28.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 22.7% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 55% 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 Carroll County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 383,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 23% | n/a |
| Smithdale | 20% | 0% |
| Waverly | 12% | n/a |
| Falaya | 11% | n/a |
| Providence | 9% | n/a |
| Collins | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN017 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 50% of Carroll 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: 40.02 in, 14.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.67 in.
USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
28.1% 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 24 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 28.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.02 in (-14.65) |
| 2025 | 55.07 in (+0.40) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 72.75 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 33.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HUNTINGDON WTP (3 mi away) | 16.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,100 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $142,400 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County, TN | 22 mi | 1% | 40% |
| Benton County, TN | 22 mi | under 1% | 41% |
| Henry County, TN | 26 mi | under 1% | 36% |
| Gibson County, TN | 27 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Weakley County, TN | 28 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Decatur County, TN | 32 mi | 1% | 46% |
| Madison County, TN | 33 mi | 0% | 46% |
| Humphreys County, TN | 37 mi | 0% | 24% |
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