Decatur County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 46% of Decatur County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 94 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Decatur County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 45.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.0% |
| Mapped soil | 220,081 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Savannah | 15% | n/a |
| Bodine | 14% | 0% |
| Talbott | 10% | n/a |
| Luverne | 5% | n/a |
| Dulac | 4% | n/a |
| Pickwick | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN039 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 46% of Decatur 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: 42.95 in, 12.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.39 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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 | 66.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 32.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
94 flood losses since 2016, $1.6 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 80. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 100% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 92 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 80 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.95 in (-12.44) |
| 2025 | 53.29 in (-2.10) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 70.68 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 33.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LINDEN WTP (15 mi away) | 18.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,591 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $139,600 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, TN | 14 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Henderson County, TN | 16 mi | 1% | 40% |
| Hardin County, TN | 28 mi | 2% | 36% |
| Wayne County, TN | 30 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Chester County, TN | 31 mi | 4% | 45% |
| Carroll County, TN | 32 mi | 0% | 50% |
| Benton County, TN | 32 mi | under 1% | 41% |
| Lewis County, TN | 35 mi | under 1% | 17% |
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