Craighead County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Craighead County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 106 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Craighead County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 85.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.1% |
| Mapped soil | 456,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Loring | 9% | 99% |
| Dundee | 8% | n/a |
| Foley | 7% | n/a |
| Fountain | 6% | n/a |
| Hillemann | 5% | n/a |
| Commerce | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR031 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 85% of Craighead 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: 33.22 in, 17.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.14 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 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 | 80.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
106 flood losses since 2016, $4.2 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 73. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 87% slabs, 10% crawl spaces.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 73 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.14 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.22 in (-17.92) |
| 2025 | 51.98 in (+0.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 75.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 28.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JONESBORO 2 NE (2 mi away) | 16.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 48,885 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 34% |
| Built 2000 or later | 38% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $210,400 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poinsett County, AR | 18 mi | 27% | 90% |
| Greene County, AR | 21 mi | 21% | 77% |
| Lawrence County, AR | 31 mi | 29% | 62% |
| Mississippi County, AR | 33 mi | 52% | 84% |
| Jackson County, AR | 37 mi | 27% | 72% |
| Cross County, AR | 38 mi | 34% | 87% |
| Dunklin County, MO | 39 mi | 29% | 73% |
| Clay County, AR | 39 mi | 21% | 81% |
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