Perry County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 38% of Perry County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 17%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 33% 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 Perry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 38.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 16.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 38.5% |
| Mapped soil | 358,841 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Carnasaw | 35% | 86% |
| Pirum | 17% | n/a |
| Clebit | 12% | n/a |
| Leadvale | 4% | n/a |
| Guthrie | 4% | n/a |
| Enders | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR105 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 38% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 38% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 38% of Perry County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 17% of Perry 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: 34.06 in, 18.50 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.56 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 43 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 | 93.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 22.4% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $875,480 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 14.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 14 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.06 in (-18.50) |
| 2025 | 52.37 in (-0.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 76.36 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 31.71 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PERRY (10 mi away) | 16.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,972 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $130,200 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County, AR | 25 mi | 34% | 24% |
| Conway County, AR | 26 mi | 11% | 27% |
| Yell County, AR | 27 mi | 20% | 31% |
| Garland County, AR | 28 mi | 10% | 7% |
| Pope County, AR | 35 mi | 12% | 13% |
| Faulkner County, AR | 36 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Pulaski County, AR | 37 mi | 23% | 32% |
| 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