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Pope County, Arkansas

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 12% of Pope County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 13%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 70.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 60.3% a week earlier.

FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

12%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

13%

high water table: limits basements

70%

in drought, October 13, 2026

36%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Pope County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.3%
High water table (limits basements)12.6%
Septic fields very limited86.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)12.3%
Mapped soil531,315 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Mountainburg27%n/a
Nella17%n/a
Enders16%n/a
Linker14%n/a
Leadvale5%n/a
Spadra4%n/a
Conway County: 11%Johnson County: 5%Van Buren County: 17%Newton County: 16%Perry County: 38%Searcy County: 22%Yell County: 20%Logan County: 10%Pope County ConwayJohnsonVan BurenNewtonPerrySearcyYellLoganPope
Pope 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 AR115 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 35.68 in, 16.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.07 in.

USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 12% and a shallow water table on 13% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Pope County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

70.4% 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 27 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 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 worse70.4%
D2 severe or worse55.5%
D3 extreme or worse37.6%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

9 flood losses since 2016, $159,115 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20160
20173
20180
20193
20200
20211
20221
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202052.07 in
12 months to August 202635.68 in (-16.39)
202555.36 in (+3.29)
Wettest year since 18951973: 75.71 in
Driest year since 18951980: 30.63 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DARDANELLE (17 mi away)16.2

Homes

Housing units27,156
Median year built1988
Built before 198036%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied70%
Median value, owner-occupied$170,100
Single-family detached74%

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
Conway County, AR 23 mi 11% 27%
Johnson County, AR 26 mi 5% 10%
Van Buren County, AR 30 mi 17% 3%
Newton County, AR 33 mi 16% 2%
Perry County, AR 35 mi 38% 17%
Searcy County, AR 36 mi 22% 5%
Yell County, AR 38 mi 20% 31%
Logan County, AR 42 mi 10% 33%

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