Phillips County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 78% of Phillips County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 32 flood losses here since 2016. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Phillips County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 78.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 32.6% |
| Mapped soil | 465,581 acres |
How we count · survey areas AR107 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.1% by land area here, and 33% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 28% of Phillips County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 78% of Phillips 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: 35.63 in, 15.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.49 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 34 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
32 flood losses since 2016, $836,859 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.49 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.63 in (-15.86) |
| 2025 | 50.02 in (-1.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 71.87 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 33.25 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAINT CHARLES (16 mi away) | 15 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,355 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 51% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $78,200 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coahoma County, MS | 20 mi | 48% | 75% |
| Lee County, AR | 25 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Monroe County, AR | 26 mi | 29% | 81% |
| Arkansas County, AR | 31 mi | 21% | 77% |
| Tunica County, MS | 32 mi | 68% | 81% |
| Quitman County, MS | 35 mi | 69% | 91% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 42 mi | 32% | 83% |
| Bolivar County, MS | 43 mi | 63% | 86% |
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