Greene County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Greene County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 22 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Greene County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 77.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.8% |
| Mapped soil | 370,829 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Loring | 17% | 99% |
| Calloway | 8% | n/a |
| Jackport | 7% | n/a |
| Forestdale | 6% | n/a |
| Kobel | 6% | n/a |
| Foley | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR055 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Greene County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 77% of Greene 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: 32.20 in, 18.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.38 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 46 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 | 62.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
22 flood losses since 2016, $214,310 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.38 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.20 in (-18.18) |
| 2025 | 50.35 in (-0.03) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 74.10 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 27.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PARAGOULD 1S (7 mi away) | 15 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,603 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $169,300 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, AR | 19 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Craighead County, AR | 21 mi | 9% | 85% |
| Dunklin County, MO | 28 mi | 29% | 73% |
| Randolph County, AR | 30 mi | 40% | 40% |
| Lawrence County, AR | 30 mi | 29% | 62% |
| Mississippi County, AR | 38 mi | 52% | 84% |
| Poinsett County, AR | 39 mi | 27% | 90% |
| Ripley County, MO | 40 mi | 16% | 33% |
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