Davidson County, Tennessee
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 14% of Davidson County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, 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 1,020 flood losses here since 2016, 17% of them in buildings with basements. 41% 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 Davidson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.8% |
| Urban land, not rated | 9.4% |
| Mapped soil | 336,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Mimosa | 14% | n/a |
| Bodine | 12% | 0% |
| Maury | 8% | n/a |
| Stiversville | 6% | n/a |
| Talbott | 5% | n/a |
| Sulphura | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN037 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 41.00 in, 11.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.13 in.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 14% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Davidson 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 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 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 | 99.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 45.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1,020 flood losses since 2016, $36.6 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 493. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 17% basements, 17% slabs, 47% crawl spaces, 19% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 22 |
| 2017 | 214 |
| 2018 | 20 |
| 2019 | 100 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 493 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 113 |
| 2026 to date | 16 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.13 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.00 in (-11.13) |
| 2025 | 51.95 in (-0.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 71.99 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 31.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NASHVILLE INTL AP (6 mi away) | 13.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 357,113 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 53% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $417,400 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheatham County, TN | 19 mi | under 1% | 19% |
| Williamson County, TN | 20 mi | 8% | 17% |
| Robertson County, TN | 25 mi | 0% | 32% |
| Sumner County, TN | 27 mi | 18% | 19% |
| Wilson County, TN | 28 mi | 16% | 14% |
| Rutherford County, TN | 30 mi | 21% | 14% |
| Dickson County, TN | 32 mi | under 1% | 12% |
| Trousdale County, TN | 38 mi | 44% | 10% |
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