Cross County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Cross County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Cross County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 33.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 34.4% |
| Mapped soil | 398,841 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Alligator | 22% | n/a |
| Henry | 16% | n/a |
| Calloway | 10% | n/a |
| Arkabutla | 7% | n/a |
| Loring | 6% | 99% |
| Earle | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR037 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Cross County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 87% of Cross 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: 44.74 in, 8.07 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.81 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 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 | 59.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $595,487 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.81 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.74 in (-8.07) |
| 2025 | 57.63 in (+4.82) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 74.66 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 30.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WYNNE (3 mi away) | 15.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,586 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $117,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis County, AR | 18 mi | 32% | 83% |
| Poinsett County, AR | 20 mi | 27% | 90% |
| Crittenden County, AR | 27 mi | 62% | 77% |
| Woodruff County, AR | 28 mi | 25% | 72% |
| Jackson County, AR | 34 mi | 27% | 72% |
| Lee County, AR | 35 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Craighead County, AR | 38 mi | 9% | 85% |
| Monroe County, AR | 49 mi | 29% | 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