Rhea County, Tennessee
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 3% of Rhea County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 10%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Rhea County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.9% |
| Mapped soil | 215,600 acres |
How we count · survey areas TN143 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 45.12 in, 13.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.05 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on 10% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Rhea County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 36 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
14 flood losses since 2016, $1.0 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 12.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.05 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.12 in (-13.93) |
| 2025 | 53.06 in (-5.99) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 76.91 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 38.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DAYTON 2SE (9 mi away) | 17.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,451 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $206,000 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meigs County, TN | 10 mi | 5% | 17% |
| Bledsoe County, TN | 14 mi | 2% | 4% |
| McMinn County, TN | 22 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Cumberland County, TN | 24 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Roane County, TN | 29 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Van Buren County, TN | 29 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Sequatchie County, TN | 30 mi | 1% | 3% |
| Bradley County, TN | 31 mi | under 1% | 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