Wilson County, Tennessee
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of Wilson County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US 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 155 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 24% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2000.
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 Wilson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 14.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.2% |
| Mapped soil | 373,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Talbott | 29% | n/a |
| Gladeville | 9% | n/a |
| Inman | 6% | n/a |
| Hampshire | 5% | n/a |
| Bradyville | 5% | n/a |
| Mimosa | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TN189 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Wilson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 44.68 in, 9.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.05 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 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 | 13% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
155 flood losses since 2016, $4.3 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 92. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 16% slabs, 68% crawl spaces, 13% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 92 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.05 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.68 in (-9.37) |
| 2025 | 54.90 in (+0.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 72.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2007: 36.36 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEBANON (6 mi away) | 16.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 63,031 |
| Median year built | 2000 |
| Built before 1980 | 24% |
| Built 2000 or later | 50% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $428,000 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trousdale County, TN | 18 mi | 44% | 10% |
| Smith County, TN | 21 mi | 41% | 3% |
| Rutherford County, TN | 22 mi | 21% | 14% |
| Sumner County, TN | 23 mi | 18% | 19% |
| Cannon County, TN | 27 mi | 17% | 28% |
| Davidson County, TN | 28 mi | 14% | 8% |
| DeKalb County, TN | 28 mi | 13% | 19% |
| Macon County, TN | 31 mi | 10% | 16% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status