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Independence County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 30% of Independence County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 18%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Independence County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.2% |
| Mapped soil | 493,772 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Linker | 13% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 11% | 0% |
| Enders | 9% | n/a |
| Sidon | 6% | n/a |
| Loring | 5% | 99% |
| Egam | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR063 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.1% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 18% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 18% of Independence County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 30% of Independence 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: 27.51 in, 23.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.31 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 49 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 | 43.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $196,531 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.31 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.51 in (-23.80) |
| 2025 | 49.63 in (-1.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 75.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 30.33 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BATESVILLE L&D 1 (5 mi away) | 15.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,786 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $142,600 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, AR | 21 mi | 27% | 72% |
| Cleburne County, AR | 27 mi | 9% | 6% |
| Sharp County, AR | 31 mi | 48% | 4% |
| Izard County, AR | 32 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Lawrence County, AR | 34 mi | 29% | 62% |
| Stone County, AR | 35 mi | 10% | 9% |
| White County, AR | 35 mi | 13% | 52% |
| Woodruff County, AR | 42 mi | 25% | 72% |
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