Overton County, Tennessee
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Overton County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 97% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Overton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.8% |
| Mapped soil | 275,771 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Christian | 11% | n/a |
| Sengtown | 8% | n/a |
| Gilpin | 7% | 0% |
| Standingstone | 5% | n/a |
| Waynesboro | 5% | n/a |
| Lonewood | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN133 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.53 in, 8.02 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.55 in.
USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Overton County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
97% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 97% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $40,017 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.53 in (-8.02) |
| 2025 | 54.57 in (-1.98) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 76.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 37.02 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LIVINGSTON RADIO WLIV (4 mi away) | 16.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,406 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $173,200 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, TN | 18 mi | 6% | 12% |
| Pickett County, TN | 19 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Fentress County, TN | 19 mi | 1% | 4% |
| Clay County, TN | 20 mi | 4% | 8% |
| Jackson County, TN | 22 mi | 23% | 6% |
| Clinton County, KY | 28 mi | 1% | 2% |
| White County, TN | 30 mi | 2% | 8% |
| Cumberland County, KY | 31 mi | 0% | 3% |
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