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Marion County, Tennessee

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Marion County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 99.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

7%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Marion County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.1%
High water table (limits basements)7.3%
Septic fields very limited83.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.1%
Mapped soil333,500 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Ramsey22%n/a
Bouldin19%n/a
Lily19%n/a
Talbott4%n/a
Sequatchie3%n/a
Welchland2%n/a
Grundy County: 2%Sequatchie County: 1%Dade County: 6%Hamilton County: 8%Franklin County: 2%Catoosa County: 18%Walker County: 7%Jackson County: 25%Marion County GrundySequatchieDadeHamiltonFranklinCatoosaWalkerJacksonMarion
Marion County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas TN115 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 50.42 in, 11.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.53 in.

USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Marion County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

99.5% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 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 worse99.5%
D2 severe or worse19.1%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

30 flood losses since 2016, $344,949 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 23.

YearFlood losses
20160
20172
20181
20192
202023
20212
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202061.53 in
12 months to August 202650.42 in (-11.11)
202560.36 in (-1.17)
Wettest year since 18952020: 81.89 in
Driest year since 18952007: 34.95 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONTEAGLE (14 mi away)21.5

Homes

Housing units14,058
Median year built1985
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied79%
Median value, owner-occupied$195,200
Single-family detached75%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Grundy County, TN 19 mi 2% 5%
Sequatchie County, TN 20 mi 1% 3%
Dade County, GA 21 mi 6% 7%
Hamilton County, TN 24 mi 8% 13%
Franklin County, TN 27 mi 2% 20%
Catoosa County, GA 32 mi 18% 22%
Walker County, GA 33 mi 7% 21%
Jackson County, AL 33 mi 25% 20%

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