Coffee County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 45% of Coffee County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Coffee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 44.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.8% |
| Mapped soil | 278,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mountview | 18% | n/a |
| Dickson | 14% | n/a |
| Hawthorne | 6% | n/a |
| Lawrence | 6% | n/a |
| Lobelville | 5% | n/a |
| Guthrie | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN031 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 45% of Coffee 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: 47.86 in, 10.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.65 in.
USDA rates 69% 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 25 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $109,645 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.86 in (-10.79) |
| 2025 | 58.47 in (-0.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 74.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 34.22 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TULLAHOMA (12 mi away) | 18.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 25,467 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $246,800 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moore County, TN | 21 mi | 22% | 15% |
| Warren County, TN | 21 mi | under 1% | 26% |
| Bedford County, TN | 21 mi | 33% | 23% |
| Cannon County, TN | 21 mi | 17% | 28% |
| Grundy County, TN | 22 mi | 2% | 5% |
| Franklin County, TN | 23 mi | 2% | 20% |
| Rutherford County, TN | 31 mi | 21% | 14% |
| Marion County, TN | 36 mi | under 1% | 7% |
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