Miller County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 70% of Miller County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 35 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Miller County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 42.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 69.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.3% |
| Mapped soil | 408,437 acres |
How we count · survey areas AR670 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.0% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 43% of Miller County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 70% of Miller 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: 39.79 in, 11.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.74 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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
35 flood losses since 2016, $1.6 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 12. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 100% slabs. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.79 in (-11.95) |
| 2025 | 53.15 in (+1.41) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 78.08 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 28.71 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TEXARKANA (14 mi away) | 17.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,844 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,900 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County, AR | 17 mi | 49% | 61% |
| Cass County, TX | 31 mi | 4% | 37% |
| Bowie County, TX | 32 mi | 32% | 60% |
| Hempstead County, AR | 33 mi | 47% | 62% |
| Little River County, AR | 33 mi | 36% | 60% |
| Columbia County, AR | 39 mi | 23% | 81% |
| Nevada County, AR | 43 mi | 19% | 71% |
| Marion County, TX | 44 mi | 4% | 38% |
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