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Little River County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Little River County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 36%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Little River County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.9% |
| Mapped soil | 360,460 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Billyhaw | 9% | n/a |
| Guyton | 8% | n/a |
| Felker | 8% | n/a |
| Kamie | 6% | n/a |
| Harleston | 5% | n/a |
| Wrightsville | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR670 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.3% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 36% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 36% of Little River County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 60% of Little River 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: 38.16 in, 14.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.49 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 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 | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Little River County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.49 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.16 in (-14.33) |
| 2025 | 51.75 in (-0.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 75.91 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1896: 28.17 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FOREMAN (9 mi away) | 17.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,059 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $113,500 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 | 20 mi | 20% | 56% |
| Bowie County, TX | 21 mi | 32% | 60% |
| Howard County, AR | 30 mi | 21% | 31% |
| Hempstead County, AR | 33 mi | 47% | 62% |
| Miller County, AR | 33 mi | 43% | 70% |
| McCurtain County, OK | 42 mi | 37% | 28% |
| Cass County, TX | 43 mi | 4% | 37% |
| Pike County, AR | 46 mi | 17% | 23% |
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