HomeTennesseeHardin County

Hardin County, Tennessee

A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Hardin County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% of US counties. 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 89 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

36%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

43%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Hardin County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.5%
High water table (limits basements)36.0%
Septic fields very limited77.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.1%
Mapped soil380,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Luverne10%n/a
Saffell9%n/a
Pickwick8%n/a
Paden8%n/a
Bodine6%0%
Etowah6%n/a
Wayne County: 8%McNairy County: 38%Decatur County: 46%Chester County: 45%Alcorn County: 63%Tishomingo County: 28%Henderson County: 40%Perry County: 9%Hardin County WayneMcNairyDecaturChesterAlcornTishomingoHendersonPerryHardin
Hardin 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 TN071 (2025-08-28)

What the numbers mean here

On 36% of Hardin 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: 44.38 in, 11.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.25 in.

USDA rates 78% 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse52.6%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

89 flood losses since 2016, $2.5 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 68. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 3% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 83% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 109 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
201968
202015
20213
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202056.25 in
12 months to August 202644.38 in (-11.87)
202547.98 in (-8.27)
Wettest year since 18951991: 78.13 in
Driest year since 18951941: 34.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAVANNAH 6 SW (8 mi away)18.7

Homes

Housing units15,161
Median year built1986
Built before 198043%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$160,400
Single-family detached77%

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
Wayne County, TN 21 mi 1% 8%
McNairy County, TN 21 mi 5% 38%
Decatur County, TN 28 mi 1% 46%
Chester County, TN 28 mi 4% 45%
Alcorn County, MS 31 mi 2% 63%
Tishomingo County, MS 32 mi 0% 28%
Henderson County, TN 33 mi 1% 40%
Perry County, TN 37 mi 4% 9%

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