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Lauderdale County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 56% of Lauderdale County's mapped land, a higher share than 71% of US counties and the 10th highest of 95 Tennessee counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Lauderdale County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 55.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.8% |
| Mapped soil | 325,071 acres |
How we count · survey areas TN097 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Lauderdale County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 56% of Lauderdale 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: 38.26 in, 14.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.59 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 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 | 99.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 88.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $219,986 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.59 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.26 in (-14.33) |
| 2025 | 53.09 in (+0.50) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 76.36 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 28.88 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COVINGTON 3 SW (15 mi away) | 17.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,703 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $143,200 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tipton County, TN | 19 mi | 6% | 49% |
| Haywood County, TN | 23 mi | 0% | 71% |
| Dyer County, TN | 24 mi | 16% | 79% |
| Mississippi County, AR | 24 mi | 52% | 84% |
| Crockett County, TN | 28 mi | 0% | 94% |
| Pemiscot County, MO | 32 mi | 41% | 89% |
| Dunklin County, MO | 36 mi | 29% | 73% |
| Lake County, TN | 40 mi | 29% | 78% |
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