Moore County, Tennessee
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22% of Moore County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties and the 7th highest of 95 Tennessee counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 32% 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 Moore County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.1% |
| Mapped soil | 83,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne | 17% | n/a |
| Dellrose | 15% | n/a |
| Mimosa | 11% | n/a |
| Bodine | 9% | 0% |
| Mountview | 6% | n/a |
| Dickson | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN127 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 23% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Moore County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 15% of Moore 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: 49.96 in, 9.70 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.66 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 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 | 1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Moore County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.66 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.96 in (-9.70) |
| 2025 | 58.40 in (-1.26) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 75.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 33.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TULLAHOMA (9 mi away) | 18.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,017 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 32% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $285,300 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County, TN | 17 mi | 33% | 23% |
| Lincoln County, TN | 17 mi | 28% | 28% |
| Franklin County, TN | 17 mi | 2% | 20% |
| Coffee County, TN | 21 mi | 2% | 45% |
| Marshall County, TN | 26 mi | 21% | 10% |
| Grundy County, TN | 37 mi | 2% | 5% |
| Madison County, AL | 38 mi | 21% | 37% |
| Rutherford County, TN | 38 mi | 21% | 14% |
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