Montgomery County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 26% of Montgomery County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Montgomery County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 25.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 89.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.6% |
| Mapped soil | 512,359 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Littlefir | 18% | n/a |
| Bismarck | 14% | n/a |
| Yanush | 9% | n/a |
| Carnasaw | 8% | 0% |
| Sherless | 7% | n/a |
| Bengal | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR097 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 26% of Montgomery 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: 40.09 in, 17.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.27 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 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 | 35.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $126,428 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.27 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.09 in (-17.18) |
| 2025 | 61.75 in (+4.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 80.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 33.26 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ODEN 1 SE (7 mi away) | 17.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,485 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $151,900 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County, AR | 27 mi | 17% | 23% |
| Garland County, AR | 30 mi | 10% | 7% |
| Scott County, AR | 31 mi | 35% | 15% |
| Polk County, AR | 32 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Yell County, AR | 34 mi | 20% | 31% |
| Howard County, AR | 37 mi | 21% | 31% |
| Clark County, AR | 44 mi | 24% | 55% |
| Hot Spring County, AR | 44 mi | 14% | 35% |
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