Meigs County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 17% of Meigs County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 24% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Meigs County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 64.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.0% |
| Mapped soil | 138,700 acres |
How we count · survey areas TN121 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 17% of Meigs 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: 43.98 in, 13.31 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.29 in.
USDA rates 64% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $15,213 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.29 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.98 in (-13.31) |
| 2025 | 49.31 in (-7.98) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 75.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 35.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DAYTON 2SE (10 mi away) | 17.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,275 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 24% |
| Built 2000 or later | 36% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $180,000 |
| Single-family detached | 62% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County, TN | 10 mi | 3% | 10% |
| McMinn County, TN | 13 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 23 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Bradley County, TN | 25 mi | under 1% | 14% |
| Roane County, TN | 28 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Polk County, TN | 32 mi | 0% | 4% |
| Cumberland County, TN | 32 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Loudon County, TN | 32 mi | under 1% | 4% |
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