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Rutherford County, Tennessee
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21% of Rutherford County's mapped land, a higher share than 71% of US counties and the 9th highest of 95 Tennessee counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 14%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 73 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 19% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2001.
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 Rutherford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.5% |
| Mapped soil | 399,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Talbott | 14% | n/a |
| Gladeville | 14% | n/a |
| Bradyville | 9% | n/a |
| Cumberland | 6% | n/a |
| Harpeth | 5% | n/a |
| Lomond | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN149 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Rutherford County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 48.32 in, 6.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.96 in.
USDA rates 69% 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 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 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 | 63.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
73 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 17. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 39% slabs, 52% crawl spaces, 4% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 16 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.32 in (-6.64) |
| 2025 | 57.82 in (+2.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1994: 69.87 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 35.71 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MURFREESBORO 5 N (6 mi away) | 16.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 138,929 |
| Median year built | 2001 |
| Built before 1980 | 19% |
| Built 2000 or later | 52% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $382,600 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon County, TN | 20 mi | 17% | 28% |
| Wilson County, TN | 22 mi | 16% | 14% |
| Bedford County, TN | 23 mi | 33% | 23% |
| Williamson County, TN | 27 mi | 8% | 17% |
| Davidson County, TN | 30 mi | 14% | 8% |
| Coffee County, TN | 31 mi | 2% | 45% |
| Marshall County, TN | 32 mi | 21% | 10% |
| DeKalb County, TN | 34 mi | 13% | 19% |
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