Greene County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 20% of Greene County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Greene County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 369,372 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Dandridge | 18% | n/a |
| Dewey | 11% | 0% |
| Whitesburg | 5% | n/a |
| Keener | 5% | n/a |
| Hamblen | 4% | n/a |
| Armuchee | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN059 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 20% of Greene 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: 42.82 in, 3.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.65 in.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% 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 13 weeks, most recently on the May 26, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 16.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.82 in (-3.83) |
| 2025 | 44.26 in (-2.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2013: 60.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 28.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GREENEVILLE EXP STN (5 mi away) | 9.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 32,697 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $207,500 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkins County, TN | 19 mi | 0% | 10% |
| Washington County, TN | 21 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Madison County, NC | 23 mi | 0% | 2% |
| Hamblen County, TN | 23 mi | 4% | 7% |
| Cocke County, TN | 24 mi | 1% | 6% |
| Unicoi County, TN | 25 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Hancock County, TN | 32 mi | 0% | 5% |
| Jefferson County, TN | 34 mi | 0% | 5% |
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