Obion County, Tennessee
A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Obion County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties and the 8th highest of 95 Tennessee counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
32.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 54 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Obion County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 66.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.6% |
| Mapped soil | 366,236 acres |
How we count · survey areas TN131 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 66% of Obion 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: 39.65 in, 13.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.95 in.
USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
32.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 87.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 32.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
54 flood losses since 2016, $2.2 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 23. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 28% slabs, 63% crawl spaces, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 26.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 23 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.65 in (-13.30) |
| 2025 | 59.66 in (+6.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 78.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 30.02 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at UNION CITY (7 mi away) | 16.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,326 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $133,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, KY | 13 mi | 15% | 65% |
| Lake County, TN | 19 mi | 29% | 78% |
| Hickman County, KY | 24 mi | 3% | 77% |
| Weakley County, TN | 24 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Dyer County, TN | 26 mi | 16% | 79% |
| Gibson County, TN | 28 mi | 0% | 84% |
| New Madrid County, MO | 33 mi | 35% | 84% |
| Mississippi County, MO | 33 mi | 33% | 85% |
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