BasementSoil

Georgia: basement moisture and foundation risk by county

159 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Muscogee County (56), lowest is Stephens County (26). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Henry County.

Where in Georgia the ground is worse

Every county in the state, coloured by the soil values below. Click a county to open its report; switch what the colour means with the buttons. The pattern is geology, not administration — risk stops at the edge of a physiographic region, not at a county line.

Appling County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 40, movement 39, water table 46Atkinson County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 41, movement 23, water table 82Bacon County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 41, movement 30, water table 66Baker County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 40, movement 41, water table 66Baldwin County, GA — combined 30/100, moisture 38, movement 30, water table 16Banks County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 35, movement 57, water table 46Barrow County, GA — combined 31/100, moisture 39, movement 32, water table 16Bartow County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 36, movement 53, water table 46Ben Hill County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 42, movement 30, water table 46Berrien County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 44, movement 43, water table 46Bibb County, GA — combined 49/100, moisture 44, movement 43, water table 66Bleckley County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 44, movement 30, water table 46Brantley County, GA — combined 48/100, moisture 44, movement 30, water table 82Brooks County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 44, movement 40, water table 46Bryan County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 40, movement 25, water table 66Bulloch County, GA — combined 50/100, moisture 44, movement 35, water table 82Burke County, GA — combined 37/100, moisture 36, movement 32, water table 46Butts County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 36, movement 59, water table 30Calhoun County, GA — combined 36/100, moisture 41, movement 21, water table 46Camden County, GA — combined 37/100, moisture 41, movement 25, water table 46Candler County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 40, movement 25, water table 66Carroll County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 37, movement 35, water table 46Catoosa County, GA — combined 33/100, moisture 30, movement 39, water table 30Charlton County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 41, movement 19, water table 66Chatham County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 44, movement 30, water table 66Chattahoochee County, GA — combined 51/100, moisture 41, movement 55, water table 66Chattooga County, GA — combined 32/100, moisture 31, movement 34, water table 30Cherokee County, GA — combined 29/100, moisture 36, movement 29, water table 16Clarke County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 39, movement 30, water table 46Clay County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 41, movement 49, water table 46Clayton County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 35, movement 53, water table 46Clinch County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 41, movement 29, water table 46Cobb County, GA — combined 34/100, moisture 39, movement 29, water table 30Coffee County, GA — combined 49/100, moisture 42, movement 48, water table 66Colquitt County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 43, movement 20, water table 82Columbia County, GA — combined 35/100, moisture 38, movement 44, water table 16Cook County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 40, movement 34, water table 66Coweta County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 38, movement 32, water table 46Crawford County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 43, movement 22, water table 66Crisp County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 40, movement 30, water table 82Dade County, GA — combined 30/100, moisture 31, movement 39, water table 16Dawson County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 36, movement 38, water table 46DeKalb County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 36, movement 57, water table 16Decatur County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 41, movement 34, water table 46Dodge County, GA — combined 48/100, moisture 43, movement 43, water table 66Dooly County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 43, movement 43, water table 46Dougherty County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 39, movement 55, water table 46Douglas County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 36, movement 61, water table 46Early County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 43, movement 35, water table 66Echols County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 43, movement 22, water table 66Effingham County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 40, movement 39, water table 46Elbert County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 35, movement 38, water table 46Emanuel County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 44, movement 49, water table 46Evans County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 42, movement 48, water table 46Fannin County, GA — combined 30/100, moisture 30, movement 29, water table 30Fayette County, GA — combined 37/100, moisture 35, movement 56, water table 16Floyd County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 38, movement 48, water table 46Forsyth County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 36, movement 64, water table 30Franklin County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 36, movement 61, water table 46Fulton County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 34, movement 59, water table 16Gilmer County, GA — combined 35/100, moisture 31, movement 34, water table 46Glascock County, GA — combined 35/100, moisture 38, movement 34, water table 30Glynn County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 40, movement 39, water table 66Gordon County, GA — combined 30/100, moisture 32, movement 17, water table 46Grady County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 41, movement 26, water table 66Greene County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 37, movement 58, water table 46Gwinnett County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 39, movement 57, water table 30Habersham County, GA — combined 31/100, moisture 30, movement 33, water table 30Hall County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 38, movement 39, water table 46Hancock County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 39, movement 32, water table 46Haralson County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 37, movement 53, water table 46Harris County, GA — combined 49/100, moisture 43, movement 46, water table 66Hart County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 38, movement 50, water table 46Heard County, GA — combined 33/100, moisture 34, movement 33, water table 30Henry County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 34, movement 65, water table 30Houston County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 44, movement 49, water table 46Irwin County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 42, movement 26, water table 46Jackson County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 35, movement 65, water table 30Jasper County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 35, movement 40, water table 46Jeff Davis County, GA — combined 37/100, moisture 41, movement 26, water table 46Jefferson County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 37, movement 64, water table 30Jenkins County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 40, movement 36, water table 46Johnson County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 44, movement 39, water table 46Jones County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 38, movement 65, water table 30Lamar County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 35, movement 48, water table 30Lanier County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 43, movement 34, water table 46Laurens County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 40, movement 43, water table 46Lee County, GA — combined 36/100, moisture 39, movement 26, water table 46Liberty County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 41, movement 34, water table 66Lincoln County, GA — combined 36/100, moisture 38, movement 39, water table 30Long County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 42, movement 25, water table 66Lowndes County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 44, movement 43, water table 46Lumpkin County, GA — combined 34/100, moisture 31, movement 30, water table 46Macon County, GA — combined 49/100, moisture 40, movement 38, water table 82Madison County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 36, movement 38, water table 46Marion County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 40, movement 29, water table 46McDuffie County, GA — combined 32/100, moisture 36, movement 38, water table 16McIntosh County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 41, movement 37, water table 66Meriwether County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 38, movement 43, water table 46Miller County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 40, movement 37, water table 46Mitchell County, GA — combined 49/100, moisture 41, movement 49, water table 66Monroe County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 34, movement 42, water table 46Montgomery County, GA — combined 48/100, moisture 40, movement 47, water table 66Morgan County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 34, movement 51, water table 46Murray County, GA — combined 30/100, moisture 33, movement 25, water table 30Muscogee County, GA — combined 56/100, moisture 44, movement 54, water table 82Newton County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 34, movement 62, water table 16Oconee County, GA — combined 36/100, moisture 36, movement 41, water table 30Oglethorpe County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 38, movement 31, water table 46Paulding County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 38, movement 38, water table 46Peach County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 40, movement 43, water table 46Pickens County, GA — combined 45/100, moisture 35, movement 57, water table 46Pierce County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 43, movement 43, water table 46Pike County, GA — combined 35/100, moisture 35, movement 38, water table 30Polk County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 33, movement 57, water table 30Pulaski County, GA — combined 47/100, moisture 42, movement 39, water table 66Putnam County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 36, movement 61, water table 46Quitman County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 42, movement 39, water table 46Rabun County, GA — combined 31/100, moisture 31, movement 19, water table 46Randolph County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 41, movement 46, water table 46Richmond County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 34, movement 44, water table 46Rockdale County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 35, movement 54, water table 46Schley County, GA — combined 50/100, moisture 42, movement 39, water table 82Screven County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 42, movement 16, water table 82Seminole County, GA — combined 48/100, moisture 40, movement 46, water table 66Spalding County, GA — combined 44/100, moisture 36, movement 64, water table 30Stephens County, GA — combined 26/100, moisture 32, movement 16, water table 30Stewart County, GA — combined 47/100, moisture 40, movement 44, water table 66Sumter County, GA — combined 35/100, moisture 39, movement 23, water table 46Talbot County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 39, movement 46, water table 46Taliaferro County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 36, movement 60, water table 30Tattnall County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 43, movement 38, water table 46Taylor County, GA — combined 36/100, moisture 41, movement 21, water table 46Telfair County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 42, movement 26, water table 82Terrell County, GA — combined 47/100, moisture 42, movement 55, water table 46Thomas County, GA — combined 36/100, moisture 42, movement 20, water table 46Tift County, GA — combined 43/100, moisture 44, movement 40, water table 46Toombs County, GA — combined 46/100, moisture 44, movement 48, water table 46Towns County, GA — combined 31/100, moisture 30, movement 34, water table 30Treutlen County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 43, movement 35, water table 46Troup County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 36, movement 50, water table 30Turner County, GA — combined 36/100, moisture 44, movement 17, water table 46Twiggs County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 43, movement 32, water table 46Union County, GA — combined 33/100, moisture 34, movement 34, water table 30Upson County, GA — combined 38/100, moisture 38, movement 43, water table 30Walker County, GA — combined 28/100, moisture 32, movement 21, water table 30Walton County, GA — combined 34/100, moisture 34, movement 38, water table 30Ware County, GA — combined 40/100, moisture 42, movement 19, water table 66Warren County, GA — combined 30/100, moisture 37, movement 31, water table 16Washington County, GA — combined 37/100, moisture 38, movement 52, water table 16Wayne County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 43, movement 21, water table 66Webster County, GA — combined 42/100, moisture 41, movement 26, water table 66Wheeler County, GA — combined 39/100, moisture 42, movement 30, water table 46White County, GA — combined 30/100, moisture 30, movement 30, water table 30Whitfield County, GA — combined 28/100, moisture 33, movement 20, water table 30Wilcox County, GA — combined 50/100, moisture 44, movement 48, water table 66Wilkes County, GA — combined 31/100, moisture 35, movement 35, water table 16Wilkinson County, GA — combined 41/100, moisture 44, movement 20, water table 66Worth County, GA — combined 51/100, moisture 44, movement 39, water table 82
  • Low (0–27)
  • Moderate (28–49)
  • Elevated (50–74)
  • High (75–100)

County boundaries: US Census TIGER (public domain), simplified for display. Colours are our index from USDA SSURGO fields where loaded, otherwise from our regional model — each county page states which. How the index is calculated.

CountyIndexMoistureCracksWater tableRegion
Muscogee County56445482Gulf Coastal Plain
Chattahoochee County51415566Gulf Coastal Plain
Worth County51443982Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Bulloch County50443582Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Schley County50423982Gulf Coastal Plain
Wilcox County50444866Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Bibb County49444366Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Coffee County49424866Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Harris County49434666Gulf Coastal Plain
Macon County49403882Gulf Coastal Plain
Mitchell County49414966Gulf Coastal Plain
Brantley County48443082Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Dodge County48434366Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Montgomery County48404766Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Seminole County48404666Gulf Coastal Plain
Pulaski County47423966Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Stewart County47404466Gulf Coastal Plain
Terrell County47425546Gulf Coastal Plain
Baker County46404166Gulf Coastal Plain
Crisp County46403082Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Dougherty County46395546Gulf Coastal Plain
Douglas County46366146Piedmont
Early County46433566Gulf Coastal Plain
Emanuel County46444946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Franklin County46366146Piedmont
Glynn County46403966Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Greene County46375846Piedmont
Houston County46444946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Putnam County46366146Piedmont
Telfair County46422682Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Toombs County46444846Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Atkinson County45412382Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Banks County45355746Piedmont
Chatham County45443066Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Clay County45414946Gulf Coastal Plain
Colquitt County45432082Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Evans County45424846Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Jones County45386530Piedmont
Liberty County45413466Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
McIntosh County45413766Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Pickens County45355746Piedmont
Bartow County44365346Ridge and Valley
Berrien County44444346Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Cook County44403466Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Dooly County44434346Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Forsyth County44366430Piedmont
Haralson County44375346Piedmont
Hart County44385046Piedmont
Jefferson County44376430Piedmont
Lowndes County44444346Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Pierce County44434346Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Randolph County44414646Gulf Coastal Plain
Rockdale County44355446Piedmont
Spalding County44366430Piedmont
Bacon County43413066Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Brooks County43444046Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Clayton County43355346Piedmont
Floyd County43384846Ridge and Valley
Gwinnett County43395730Piedmont
Henry County43346530Piedmont
Jackson County43356530Piedmont
Johnson County43443946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Screven County43421682Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Talbot County43394646Gulf Coastal Plain
Tift County43444046Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Butts County42365930Piedmont
Crawford County42432266Gulf Coastal Plain
Echols County42432266Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Grady County42412666Gulf Coastal Plain
Laurens County42404346Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Long County42422566Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Morgan County42345146Piedmont
Peach County42404346Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Quitman County42423946Gulf Coastal Plain
Taliaferro County42366030Piedmont
Tattnall County42433846Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Webster County42412666Gulf Coastal Plain
Appling County41403946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Bryan County41402566Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Candler County41402566Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Effingham County41403946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Lanier County41433446Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Meriwether County41384346Piedmont
Treutlen County41433546Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Wayne County41432166Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Wilkinson County41442066Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Bleckley County40443046Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Charlton County40411966Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Decatur County40413446Gulf Coastal Plain
Hall County40383946Piedmont
Jenkins County40403646Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Miller County40403746Gulf Coastal Plain
Paulding County40383846Piedmont
Polk County40335730Ridge and Valley
Richmond County40344446Piedmont
Twiggs County40433246Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Ware County40421966Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Ben Hill County39423046Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Dawson County39363846Piedmont
Jasper County39354046Piedmont
Madison County39363846Piedmont
Monroe County39344246Piedmont
Newton County39346216Piedmont
Troup County39365030Piedmont
Wheeler County39423046Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Carroll County38373546Piedmont
Clarke County38393046Piedmont
Clinch County38412946Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Coweta County38383246Piedmont
DeKalb County38365716Piedmont
Elbert County38353846Piedmont
Fulton County38345916Piedmont
Hancock County38393246Piedmont
Irwin County38422646Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Lamar County38354830Piedmont
Marion County38402946Gulf Coastal Plain
Oglethorpe County38383146Piedmont
Upson County38384330Piedmont
Burke County37363246Piedmont
Camden County37412546Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Fayette County37355616Piedmont
Jeff Davis County37412646Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Washington County37385216Piedmont
Calhoun County36412146Gulf Coastal Plain
Lee County36392646Gulf Coastal Plain
Lincoln County36383930Piedmont
Oconee County36364130Piedmont
Taylor County36412146Gulf Coastal Plain
Thomas County36422046Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Turner County36441746Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain
Columbia County35384416Piedmont
Gilmer County35313446Blue Ridge Mountains
Glascock County35383430Piedmont
Pike County35353830Piedmont
Sumter County35392346Gulf Coastal Plain
Cobb County34392930Piedmont
Lumpkin County34313046Blue Ridge Mountains
Walton County34343830Piedmont
Catoosa County33303930Blue Ridge Mountains
Heard County33343330Piedmont
Union County33343430Blue Ridge Mountains
Chattooga County32313430Blue Ridge Mountains
McDuffie County32363816Piedmont
Barrow County31393216Piedmont
Habersham County31303330Blue Ridge Mountains
Rabun County31311946Blue Ridge Mountains
Towns County31303430Blue Ridge Mountains
Wilkes County31353516Piedmont
Baldwin County30383016Piedmont
Dade County30313916Blue Ridge Mountains
Fannin County30302930Blue Ridge Mountains
Gordon County30321746Blue Ridge Mountains
Murray County30332530Blue Ridge Mountains
Warren County30373116Piedmont
White County30303030Blue Ridge Mountains
Cherokee County29362916Piedmont
Walker County28322130Blue Ridge Mountains
Whitfield County28332030Blue Ridge Mountains
Stephens County26321630Blue Ridge Mountains

Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.

The physiographic regions inside Georgia

State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Georgia and why each behaves the way it does.

Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain

Low, flat and wet. Groundwater sits close to the surface for much of the year, which is why houses here sit on slabs or piers rather than over basements. Where clays are present they are moderately expansive; where sand dominates, the risk is moisture, not movement.

57 counties: Appling County, Atkinson County, Bacon County, Ben Hill County, Berrien County, Bibb County, Bleckley County, Brantley County, Brooks County, Bryan County, Bulloch County, Camden County, Candler County, Charlton County, Chatham County, Clinch County, Coffee County, Colquitt County, Cook County, Crisp County, Dodge County, Dooly County, Echols County, Effingham County, Emanuel County, Evans County, Glynn County, Houston County, Irwin County, Jeff Davis County, Jenkins County, Johnson County, Lanier County, Laurens County, Liberty County, Long County, Lowndes County, McIntosh County, Montgomery County, Peach County, Pierce County, Pulaski County, Screven County, Tattnall County, Telfair County, Thomas County, Tift County, Toombs County, Treutlen County, Turner County, Twiggs County, Ware County, Wayne County, Wheeler County, Wilcox County, Wilkinson County, Worth County

Piedmont

Saprolite is weathered rock that keeps its structure, so water moves through it along relict joints unpredictably. The Triassic basins inside the Piedmont are islands of strongly expansive clay.

57 counties: Baldwin County, Banks County, Barrow County, Burke County, Butts County, Carroll County, Cherokee County, Clarke County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Columbia County, Coweta County, Dawson County, DeKalb County, Douglas County, Elbert County, Fayette County, Forsyth County, Franklin County, Fulton County, Glascock County, Greene County, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Hancock County, Haralson County, Hart County, Heard County, Henry County, Jackson County, Jasper County, Jefferson County, Jones County, Lamar County, Lincoln County, Madison County, McDuffie County, Meriwether County, Monroe County, Morgan County, Newton County, Oconee County, Oglethorpe County, Paulding County, Pickens County, Pike County, Putnam County, Richmond County, Rockdale County, Spalding County, Taliaferro County, Troup County, Upson County, Walton County, Warren County, Washington County, Wilkes County

Gulf Coastal Plain

Extremely variable over short distances: deep sand on the ridges, saturated clay in the flats between them. High rainfall and a seasonally high water table make crawlspace and slab moisture the dominant complaint rather than structural movement.

26 counties: Baker County, Calhoun County, Chattahoochee County, Clay County, Crawford County, Decatur County, Dougherty County, Early County, Grady County, Harris County, Lee County, Macon County, Marion County, Miller County, Mitchell County, Muscogee County, Quitman County, Randolph County, Schley County, Seminole County, Stewart County, Sumter County, Talbot County, Taylor County, Terrell County, Webster County

Blue Ridge Mountains

Steep ground with deep weathering. Volume change is low, but slope stability is not: colluvium on a mountainside can creep, and debris flows during hurricane rainfall are a documented hazard. A house benched into a slope collects water behind its uphill wall.

16 counties: Catoosa County, Chattooga County, Dade County, Fannin County, Gilmer County, Gordon County, Habersham County, Lumpkin County, Murray County, Rabun County, Stephens County, Towns County, Union County, Walker County, White County, Whitfield County

Ridge and Valley

Limestone valleys mean karst: permeability is excellent until it is not. Sinkhole activity is an underrated cause of foundation failure here.

3 counties: Bartow County, Floyd County, Polk County

Page data updated