HomeArkansasMississippi County
Mississippi County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Mississippi County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties and the 5th highest of 75 Arkansas counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 52%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 23 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Mississippi County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 51.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 60.7% |
| Mapped soil | 590,684 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 29% | 99% |
| Steele | 13% | n/a |
| Tunica | 12% | n/a |
| Dundee | 8% | n/a |
| Crevasse | 4% | n/a |
| Routon | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR093 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.6% by land area here, and 61% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 52% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 52% of Mississippi County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 84% of Mississippi 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: 38.52 in, 13.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.95 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 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 | 97.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
23 flood losses since 2016, $780,616 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.52 in (-13.43) |
| 2025 | 54.00 in (+2.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 78.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1941: 26.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KEISER (6 mi away) | 16 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,133 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $122,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County, TN | 24 mi | 15% | 56% |
| Tipton County, TN | 25 mi | 6% | 49% |
| Dunklin County, MO | 27 mi | 29% | 73% |
| Craighead County, AR | 33 mi | 9% | 85% |
| Pemiscot County, MO | 34 mi | 41% | 89% |
| Greene County, AR | 38 mi | 21% | 77% |
| Poinsett County, AR | 38 mi | 27% | 90% |
| Shelby County, TN | 41 mi | 4% | 61% |
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