Marion County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24% of Marion County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 13%.
66.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Marion County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 23.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.3% |
| Mapped soil | 409,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Moko | 14% | n/a |
| Arkana | 13% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 12% | under 1% |
| Nixa | 10% | n/a |
| Noark | 9% | n/a |
| Doniphan | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR089 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 23% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 24% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 66.7% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 24% of Marion County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.27 in, 14.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.91 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
66.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 66.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 51.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $1.0 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.91 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.27 in (-14.64) |
| 2025 | 45.04 in (-1.87) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 71.11 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 24.25 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MTN HOME 1 NNW (17 mi away) | 14.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,749 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,300 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter County, AR | 19 mi | 40% | 13% |
| Boone County, AR | 22 mi | 19% | 23% |
| Searcy County, AR | 26 mi | 22% | 5% |
| Ozark County, MO | 29 mi | 36% | 43% |
| Taney County, MO | 33 mi | 23% | 43% |
| Newton County, AR | 39 mi | 16% | 2% |
| Stone County, AR | 40 mi | 10% | 9% |
| Izard County, AR | 44 mi | 9% | 3% |
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