Carroll County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22% of Carroll County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 16%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Carroll County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.8% |
| Mapped soil | 410,599 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Arkana | 17% | n/a |
| Noark | 13% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 12% | under 1% |
| Moko | 11% | n/a |
| Nixa | 8% | n/a |
| Mountainburg | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR015 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.8% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Carroll County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 16% of Carroll 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: 39.18 in, 7.60 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.78 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 88.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 38.8% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $3,087 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.18 in (-7.60) |
| 2025 | 44.76 in (-2.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 68.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 22.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OMAHA 2S. (20 mi away) | 14.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,957 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $210,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, AR | 25 mi | 24% | 11% |
| Boone County, AR | 26 mi | 19% | 23% |
| Stone County, MO | 29 mi | 8% | 17% |
| Barry County, MO | 30 mi | 9% | 44% |
| Newton County, AR | 35 mi | 16% | 2% |
| Taney County, MO | 35 mi | 23% | 43% |
| Benton County, AR | 40 mi | 3% | 47% |
| Washington County, AR | 45 mi | 20% | 24% |
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