Cheatham County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Cheatham County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 104 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Cheatham County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.2% |
| Mapped soil | 196,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne | 27% | n/a |
| Sengtown | 26% | n/a |
| Sulphura | 11% | n/a |
| Mountview | 7% | n/a |
| Minvale | 4% | n/a |
| Dickson | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN021 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 19% of Cheatham 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: 36.08 in, 15.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.38 in.
USDA rates 81% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 72% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
104 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 50. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 15% slabs, 24% crawl spaces, 59% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 19 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 50 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 28 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.08 in (-15.30) |
| 2025 | 47.20 in (-4.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 70.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 31.79 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHEATHAM L&D (8 mi away) | 15.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,449 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $338,700 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dickson County, TN | 17 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Davidson County, TN | 19 mi | 14% | 8% |
| Robertson County, TN | 22 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Montgomery County, TN | 23 mi | 1% | 25% |
| Williamson County, TN | 27 mi | 8% | 17% |
| Houston County, TN | 34 mi | 0% | 13% |
| Hickman County, TN | 37 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Sumner County, TN | 39 mi | 18% | 19% |
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