Florida: basement moisture and foundation risk by county
67 counties, ranked by our combined index. Highest combined risk is Leon County (55), lowest is Miami-Dade County (35). The worst soil for foundation cracks specifically is in Washington County.
| County | Index | Moisture | Cracks | Water table | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon County | 55 | 43 | 51 | 82 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Wakulla County | 52 | 43 | 54 | 66 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Washington County | 52 | 42 | 57 | 66 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Alachua County | 48 | 42 | 24 | 95 | Florida karst and sand |
| Gulf County | 48 | 42 | 43 | 66 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Glades County | 47 | 41 | 20 | 95 | Florida karst and sand |
| Jackson County | 47 | 42 | 56 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Orange County | 46 | 42 | 16 | 95 | Florida karst and sand |
| Putnam County | 46 | 42 | 25 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Taylor County | 46 | 42 | 52 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Walton County | 46 | 43 | 36 | 66 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Bradford County | 45 | 42 | 22 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Hernando County | 45 | 42 | 24 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Sarasota County | 45 | 42 | 24 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Suwannee County | 45 | 42 | 13 | 95 | Florida karst and sand |
| Calhoun County | 44 | 40 | 47 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| DeSoto County | 44 | 42 | 21 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Gilchrist County | 44 | 40 | 21 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Holmes County | 44 | 43 | 31 | 66 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Manatee County | 44 | 42 | 21 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Martin County | 44 | 41 | 20 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Polk County | 44 | 41 | 20 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| St. Johns County | 44 | 40 | 22 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Volusia County | 44 | 40 | 23 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Escambia County | 43 | 41 | 30 | 66 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Hardee County | 43 | 42 | 16 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Liberty County | 43 | 40 | 30 | 66 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Okeechobee County | 43 | 39 | 11 | 95 | Florida karst and sand |
| Pinellas County | 43 | 40 | 20 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Santa Rosa County | 43 | 42 | 43 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Gadsden County | 42 | 40 | 43 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Hamilton County | 42 | 39 | 7 | 95 | Florida karst and sand |
| Jefferson County | 42 | 43 | 50 | 30 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Monroe County | 42 | 41 | 16 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Bay County | 41 | 41 | 38 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Duval County | 41 | 40 | 25 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Franklin County | 41 | 42 | 36 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Indian River County | 41 | 41 | 23 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Lafayette County | 41 | 41 | 10 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Lake County | 41 | 42 | 23 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Lee County | 41 | 42 | 11 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Marion County | 41 | 40 | 23 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Palm Beach County | 41 | 40 | 14 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Union County | 41 | 42 | 11 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Charlotte County | 40 | 42 | 20 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Collier County | 40 | 42 | 17 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Hillsborough County | 40 | 41 | 7 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Osceola County | 40 | 43 | 7 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Broward County | 39 | 42 | 16 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Clay County | 39 | 39 | 20 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Flagler County | 39 | 42 | 16 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Hendry County | 39 | 39 | 7 | 82 | Florida karst and sand |
| Madison County | 39 | 41 | 17 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| St. Lucie County | 39 | 42 | 16 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Citrus County | 38 | 40 | 16 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Highlands County | 38 | 39 | 18 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Levy County | 38 | 40 | 14 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Okaloosa County | 38 | 40 | 31 | 46 | Gulf Coastal Plain |
| Pasco County | 38 | 40 | 16 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Brevard County | 37 | 41 | 10 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Nassau County | 37 | 41 | 9 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Seminole County | 37 | 40 | 13 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Sumter County | 37 | 40 | 12 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Baker County | 36 | 40 | 8 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Columbia County | 36 | 40 | 8 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Dixie County | 36 | 39 | 11 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
| Miami-Dade County | 35 | 39 | 8 | 66 | Florida karst and sand |
Values from USDA NRCS SSURGO where available, otherwise our regional model — each county page states which. Methodology.
The physiographic regions inside Florida
State lines are political; soil follows geology. These are the distinct ground types inside Florida and why each behaves the way it does.
Florida karst and sand
Two contradictory facts at once: sand that drains almost instantly, and a water table so shallow that it reaches the surface in the wet season. Volume change is negligible. The real hazard is karst — sinkhole activity is a recognised, insurable peril in much of the state, unlike almost anywhere else.
50 counties: Alachua County, Baker County, Bradford County, Brevard County, Broward County, Charlotte County, Citrus County, Clay County, Collier County, Columbia County, DeSoto County, Dixie County, Duval County, Flagler County, Gilchrist County, Glades County, Hamilton County, Hardee County, Hendry County, Hernando County, Highlands County, Hillsborough County, Indian River County, Lafayette County, Lake County, Lee County, Levy County, Madison County, Manatee County, Marion County, Martin County, Miami-Dade County, Monroe County, Nassau County, Okeechobee County, Orange County, Osceola County, Palm Beach County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Polk County, Putnam County, Sarasota County, Seminole County, St. Johns County, St. Lucie County, Sumter County, Suwannee County, Union County, Volusia 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.
17 counties: Bay County, Calhoun County, Escambia County, Franklin County, Gadsden County, Gulf County, Holmes County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Leon County, Liberty County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Taylor County, Wakulla County, Walton County, Washington County
Page data updated