Fayette County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 71% of Fayette County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties and the 6th highest of 95 Tennessee counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 26% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1999.
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 Fayette County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 451,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Grenada | 26% | n/a |
| Falaya | 11% | n/a |
| Collins | 9% | n/a |
| Waverly | 8% | n/a |
| Loring | 7% | 99% |
| Lexington | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN047 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 71% of Fayette 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: 47.26 in, 8.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.54 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 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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
4 flood losses since 2016, $525,946 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.54 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 47.26 in (-8.28) |
| 2025 | 57.93 in (+2.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 71.74 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 34.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at AMES PLANTATION (13 mi away) | 18 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,494 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 26% |
| Built 2000 or later | 47% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $340,800 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardeman County, TN | 24 mi | 7% | 39% |
| Shelby County, TN | 27 mi | 4% | 61% |
| Haywood County, TN | 28 mi | 0% | 71% |
| Tipton County, TN | 28 mi | 6% | 49% |
| Benton County, MS | 29 mi | 0% | 37% |
| Marshall County, MS | 30 mi | 2% | 56% |
| DeSoto County, MS | 40 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Lauderdale County, TN | 41 mi | 15% | 56% |
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