Jackson County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of Jackson County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Jackson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.3% |
| Mapped soil | 410,330 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Dundee | 13% | n/a |
| Foley | 12% | n/a |
| Crowley | 10% | n/a |
| Bosket | 9% | n/a |
| Jackport | 8% | n/a |
| Calhoun | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR067 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Jackson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 72% of Jackson 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: 32.78 in, 17.85 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.63 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 44 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 | 90.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
33 flood losses since 2016, $941,946 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 17. Median water depth outside the building: 26 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.78 in (-17.85) |
| 2025 | 51.81 in (+1.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 79.54 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 30.78 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEWPORT (3 mi away) | 15.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,095 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $98,300 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence County, AR | 21 mi | 18% | 30% |
| Woodruff County, AR | 28 mi | 25% | 72% |
| Poinsett County, AR | 31 mi | 27% | 90% |
| Lawrence County, AR | 32 mi | 29% | 62% |
| Cross County, AR | 34 mi | 34% | 87% |
| Craighead County, AR | 37 mi | 9% | 85% |
| White County, AR | 38 mi | 13% | 52% |
| Sharp County, AR | 43 mi | 48% | 4% |
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