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Gibson County, Tennessee

A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Gibson County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 95 Tennessee counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

80.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

84%

high water table: limits basements

80%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Gibson County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)83.7%
Septic fields very limited94.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Mapped soil386,000 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Providence20%n/a
Loring18%99%
Collins9%n/a
Falaya9%n/a
Lexington8%n/a
Grenada8%n/a
Crockett County: 94%Weakley County: 84%Dyer County: 79%Carroll County: 50%Madison County: 46%Obion County: 66%Haywood County: 71%Henderson County: 40%Gibson County CrockettWeakleyDyerCarrollMadisonObionHaywoodHendersonGibson
Gibson County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas TN053 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 84% of Gibson 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: 41.96 in, 12.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.32 in.

USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

80.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse80.3%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

17 flood losses since 2016, $252,712 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20164
20172
20181
20193
20202
20211
20220
20231
20240
20252
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202054.32 in
12 months to August 202641.96 in (-12.36)
202555.07 in (+0.75)
Wettest year since 18951957: 73.61 in
Driest year since 18951941: 31.96 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MILAN EXP STN (12 mi away)16.6

Homes

Housing units22,617
Median year built1976
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied69%
Median value, owner-occupied$156,900
Single-family detached76%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Crockett County, TN 16 mi 0% 94%
Weakley County, TN 25 mi 0% 84%
Dyer County, TN 27 mi 16% 79%
Carroll County, TN 27 mi 0% 50%
Madison County, TN 27 mi 0% 46%
Obion County, TN 28 mi 1% 66%
Haywood County, TN 34 mi 0% 71%
Henderson County, TN 38 mi 1% 40%

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