Lewis County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Lewis County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Lewis County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.2% |
| Mapped soil | 180,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Biffle | 36% | n/a |
| Sulphura | 12% | n/a |
| Ironcity | 10% | n/a |
| Lax | 8% | n/a |
| Riverby | 5% | n/a |
| Dickson | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN101 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Lewis 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: 49.28 in, 7.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.08 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 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 | 86.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $55,939 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.08 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.28 in (-7.80) |
| 2025 | 49.79 in (-7.29) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2021: 71.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 33.85 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LINDEN WTP (20 mi away) | 18.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,804 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $173,400 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickman County, TN | 19 mi | 1% | 10% |
| Lawrence County, TN | 22 mi | 0% | 21% |
| Perry County, TN | 23 mi | 4% | 9% |
| Maury County, TN | 24 mi | 8% | 9% |
| Wayne County, TN | 27 mi | 1% | 8% |
| Giles County, TN | 34 mi | 11% | 20% |
| Decatur County, TN | 35 mi | 1% | 46% |
| Humphreys County, TN | 39 mi | 0% | 24% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status