Poinsett County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 90% of Poinsett County's mapped land, a higher share than 96% of US counties and the highest of 75 Arkansas counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
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. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Poinsett County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 90.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.7% |
| Mapped soil | 489,466 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 16% | 99% |
| Henry | 14% | n/a |
| Hillemann | 9% | n/a |
| Mhoon | 7% | n/a |
| Jackport | 6% | n/a |
| Dundee | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR111 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Poinsett County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 90% of Poinsett 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: 37.27 in, 14.67 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.94 in.
USDA rates 94% 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 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 | 69% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
23 flood losses since 2016, $837,334 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.27 in (-14.67) |
| 2025 | 54.53 in (+2.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 76.52 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 27.98 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JONESBORO 2 NE (19 mi away) | 16.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,449 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $103,000 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craighead County, AR | 18 mi | 9% | 85% |
| Cross County, AR | 20 mi | 34% | 87% |
| Jackson County, AR | 31 mi | 27% | 72% |
| Crittenden County, AR | 33 mi | 62% | 77% |
| Mississippi County, AR | 38 mi | 52% | 84% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 38 mi | 32% | 83% |
| Greene County, AR | 39 mi | 21% | 77% |
| Woodruff County, AR | 41 mi | 25% | 72% |
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