Lincoln County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 28% of Lincoln County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Lincoln County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 28.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.5% |
| Mapped soil | 365,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mimosa | 11% | n/a |
| Dellrose | 10% | n/a |
| Hawthorne | 10% | n/a |
| Barfield | 8% | n/a |
| Dickson | 7% | n/a |
| Ashwood | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN103 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 28% of Lincoln County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 28% of Lincoln 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: 52.58 in, 6.88 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.46 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 20 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
16 flood losses since 2016, $444,310 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.46 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 52.58 in (-6.88) |
| 2025 | 58.82 in (-0.64) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1989: 76.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 32.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FAYETTEVILLE WTP (3 mi away) | 18.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,291 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $229,700 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moore County, TN | 17 mi | 22% | 15% |
| Marshall County, TN | 24 mi | 21% | 10% |
| Giles County, TN | 25 mi | 11% | 20% |
| Madison County, AL | 26 mi | 21% | 37% |
| Bedford County, TN | 27 mi | 33% | 23% |
| Franklin County, TN | 28 mi | 2% | 20% |
| Limestone County, AL | 32 mi | 1% | 42% |
| Coffee County, TN | 38 mi | 2% | 45% |
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