Sinkhole risk in Tuscaloosa County, AL: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock: 2%
At or near the surface: 2%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 22 of Tuscaloosa County's 1,321 square miles on soluble rock, 22 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 241,212 residents (183 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 293 map points about 2.1 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Two things to read before deciding: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Tuscaloosa County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Noxubee County, MS, about 62 miles west. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Bibb County, AL 30 mi southeast · 12% at surface
Fayette County, AL 33 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Pickens County, AL 33 mi west · 4% at surface
Walker County, AL 37 mi north · 0% at surface
Hale County, AL 38 mi south · 20% at surface
Greene County, AL 40 mi southwest · 18% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Copper Ridge Dolomite (dolostone (dolomite)), Cambrian in age, covering about 1% of the county. Next is the Conasauga Formation at under 1%.

Against the rest of Alabama

Tuscaloosa County ranks 52 of 67 in Alabama for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 57% of US counties on that measure.