HomeArkansasCleburne County

Cleburne County, Arkansas

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 9% of Cleburne County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 6%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 73% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 45.1% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

9%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

6%

high water table: limits basements

73%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Cleburne County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)9.3%
High water table (limits basements)6.3%
Septic fields very limited75.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.3%
Mapped soil378,822 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Steprock30%n/a
Enders17%n/a
Linker15%n/a
Mountainburg14%n/a
Nella6%n/a
Sidon2%n/a
Stone County: 10%Independence County: 18%White County: 13%Van Buren County: 17%Izard County: 9%Faulkner County: 6%Searcy County: 22%Jackson County: 27%Cleburne County StoneIndependenceWhiteVan BurenIzardFaulknerSearcyJacksonCleburne
Cleburne County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AR023 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.93 in, 22.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.49 in.

USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 9% and a shallow water table on 6% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Cleburne County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

73% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the August 18, 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 worse73%
D2 severe or worse42.8%
D3 extreme or worse1.1%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

19 flood losses since 2016, $785,340 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 11.

YearFlood losses
20160
201711
20185
20191
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202052.49 in
12 months to August 202629.93 in (-22.56)
202548.17 in (-4.32)
Wettest year since 18951957: 76.60 in
Driest year since 18951901: 32.27 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GREERS FERRY DAM (5 mi away)16.2

Homes

Housing units15,667
Median year built1989
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$179,800
Single-family detached75%

What repairs cost

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

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Stone County, AR 20 mi 10% 9%
Independence County, AR 27 mi 18% 30%
White County, AR 27 mi 13% 52%
Van Buren County, AR 29 mi 17% 3%
Izard County, AR 35 mi 9% 3%
Faulkner County, AR 36 mi 6% 38%
Searcy County, AR 44 mi 22% 5%
Jackson County, AR 44 mi 27% 72%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 10, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status