Monroe County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 81% of Monroe County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Monroe County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.0% |
| Mapped soil | 397,452 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 18% | 99% |
| Calhoun | 9% | n/a |
| Foley | 8% | n/a |
| Jackport | 7% | n/a |
| Dubbs | 7% | n/a |
| Commerce | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR095 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.1% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Monroe County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 81% of Monroe 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: 34.46 in, 15.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.37 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 39 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 | 76.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
18 flood losses since 2016, $132,207 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.37 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.46 in (-15.91) |
| 2025 | 46.51 in (-3.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 76.66 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 32.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BRINKLEY (14 mi away) | 17.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,829 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $88,700 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie County, AR | 22 mi | 17% | 80% |
| Lee County, AR | 25 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Phillips County, AR | 26 mi | 28% | 78% |
| Arkansas County, AR | 29 mi | 21% | 77% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 35 mi | 32% | 83% |
| Woodruff County, AR | 36 mi | 25% | 72% |
| Lonoke County, AR | 40 mi | 22% | 80% |
| Coahoma County, MS | 46 mi | 48% | 75% |
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