Crittenden County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Crittenden County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 62%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 59 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Crittenden County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 61.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 77.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 64.3% |
| Mapped soil | 407,616 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 34% | 99% |
| Alligator | 11% | n/a |
| Tunica | 9% | n/a |
| Dundee | 7% | n/a |
| Forestdale | 5% | n/a |
| Dubbs | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR035 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.2% by land area here, and 64% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 62% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 62% of Crittenden County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 77% of Crittenden 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: 46.11 in, 7.84 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.95 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 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 | 57.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
59 flood losses since 2016, $3.3 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 36. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 100% slabs. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 36 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.11 in (-7.84) |
| 2025 | 61.41 in (+7.46) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 72.51 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 32.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W MEMPHIS (9 mi away) | 16.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,388 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, TN | 23 mi | 4% | 61% |
| Cross County, AR | 27 mi | 34% | 87% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 28 mi | 32% | 83% |
| DeSoto County, MS | 28 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Poinsett County, AR | 33 mi | 27% | 90% |
| Tipton County, TN | 38 mi | 6% | 49% |
| Tunica County, MS | 38 mi | 68% | 81% |
| Lee County, AR | 40 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