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Benton County, Arkansas

A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Benton County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 162 flood losses here since 2016, 10% of them in buildings with basements. 18% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2001.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

47%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

18%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Benton County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.1%
High water table (limits basements)47.3%
Septic fields very limited89.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)4.5%
Mapped soil562,349 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Clarksville24%0%
Nixa21%n/a
Captina10%n/a
Noark7%n/a
Tonti7%n/a
Peridge4%n/a
McDonald County: 29%Washington County: 24%Delaware County: 23%Barry County: 44%Madison County: 11%Adair County: 21%Newton County: 65%Carroll County: 16%Benton County McDonaldWashingtonDelawareBarryMadisonAdairNewtonCarrollBenton
Benton County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AR007 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

On 47% of Benton County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 42.98 in, 4.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.37 in.

USDA rates 90% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse100%
D4 exceptional82.9%

Flood losses since 2016

162 flood losses since 2016, $6.2 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 57. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 10% basements, 56% slabs, 17% crawl spaces, 16% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10.5 in.

YearFlood losses
20161
201757
20183
20199
20204
202154
202211
20233
20246
202512
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.37 in
12 months to August 202642.98 in (-4.39)
202552.39 in (+5.02)
Wettest year since 18952019: 69.81 in
Driest year since 18951963: 22.43 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRAVETTE (12 mi away)14.3

Homes

Housing units122,703
Median year built2001
Built before 198018%
Built 2000 or later52%
Owner-occupied67%
Median value, owner-occupied$323,500
Single-family detached74%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
McDonald County, MO 20 mi 2% 29%
Washington County, AR 25 mi 20% 24%
Delaware County, OK 31 mi 5% 23%
Barry County, MO 34 mi 9% 44%
Madison County, AR 37 mi 24% 11%
Adair County, OK 38 mi 14% 21%
Newton County, MO 40 mi 6% 65%
Carroll County, AR 40 mi 22% 16%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status