HomeArkansasPolk County

Polk County, Arkansas

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 5% of Polk County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 14%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

14%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Polk County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.1%
High water table (limits basements)14.4%
Septic fields very limited92.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.1%
Mapped soil551,693 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Sherless23%n/a
Nashoba10%n/a
Bismarck10%n/a
Littlefir7%n/a
Yanush6%n/a
Carnasaw6%86%
Scott County: 35%Howard County: 21%Montgomery County: 5%Sevier County: 20%Le Flore County: 33%Pike County: 17%McCurtain County: 37%Sebastian County: 5%Polk County ScottHowardMontgomerySevierLe FlorePikeMcCurtainSebastianPolk
Polk County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AR113 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.28 in, 14.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.89 in.

USDA rates 93% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 5% and a shallow water table on 14% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Polk County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse43.7%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

4 flood losses since 2016, $11,641 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20171
20180
20190
20202
20210
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202057.89 in
12 months to August 202643.28 in (-14.61)
202558.26 in (+0.37)
Wettest year since 18952015: 83.20 in
Driest year since 18951963: 30.24 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MENA (8 mi away)19

Homes

Housing units9,643
Median year built1986
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later27%
Owner-occupied79%
Median value, owner-occupied$138,400
Single-family detached75%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Scott County, AR 27 mi 35% 15%
Howard County, AR 31 mi 21% 31%
Montgomery County, AR 32 mi 5% 26%
Sevier County, AR 34 mi 20% 56%
Le Flore County, OK 39 mi 33% 30%
Pike County, AR 40 mi 17% 23%
McCurtain County, OK 40 mi 37% 28%
Sebastian County, AR 49 mi 5% 46%

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