Franklin County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Franklin County's mapped land. 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 8 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Franklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 54.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.6% |
| Mapped soil | 362,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter | 9% | n/a |
| Dickson | 7% | n/a |
| Hartsells | 7% | n/a |
| Talbott | 6% | n/a |
| Cumberland | 5% | n/a |
| Ramsey | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN051 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Franklin 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: 50.88 in, 9.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 60.27 in.
USDA rates 55% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 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 | 77.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $58,277 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 60.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.88 in (-9.39) |
| 2025 | 60.84 in (+0.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 81.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 32.62 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINCHESTER 5SE (4 mi away) | 16.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,110 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $236,900 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 | 17 mi | 22% | 15% |
| Coffee County, TN | 23 mi | 2% | 45% |
| Marion County, TN | 27 mi | under 1% | 7% |
| Grundy County, TN | 27 mi | 2% | 5% |
| Jackson County, AL | 28 mi | 25% | 20% |
| Lincoln County, TN | 28 mi | 28% | 28% |
| Bedford County, TN | 32 mi | 33% | 23% |
| Madison County, AL | 37 mi | 21% | 37% |
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