Howard County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 31% of Howard County's mapped land, a higher share than 50% 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 3 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Howard County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.2% |
| Mapped soil | 380,980 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sherwood | 22% | n/a |
| Pickens | 11% | n/a |
| Sacul | 10% | 93% |
| Saffell | 9% | n/a |
| Blevins | 7% | n/a |
| Ozan | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR061 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.3% 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 Howard County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 31% of Howard 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: 43.09 in, 12.66 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.75 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 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 | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 33.5% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $30,358 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.75 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.09 in (-12.66) |
| 2025 | 54.02 in (-1.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 80.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 31.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEWHOPE 6 S (7 mi away) | 17.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,173 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,900 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevier County, AR | 16 mi | 20% | 56% |
| Pike County, AR | 20 mi | 17% | 23% |
| Little River County, AR | 30 mi | 36% | 60% |
| Hempstead County, AR | 30 mi | 47% | 62% |
| Polk County, AR | 31 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Montgomery County, AR | 37 mi | 5% | 26% |
| McCurtain County, OK | 44 mi | 37% | 28% |
| Clark County, AR | 47 mi | 24% | 55% |
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