Randolph County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 40% of Randolph County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 40%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 117 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Randolph County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 40.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 39.5% |
| Mapped soil | 419,961 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Gepp | 24% | n/a |
| Captina | 10% | n/a |
| Doniphan | 8% | n/a |
| Ventris | 4% | n/a |
| Loring | 4% | 0% |
| Bosket | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR121 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% by land area here, and 39% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 40% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 40% of Randolph County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 40% of Randolph 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: 33.07 in, 16.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.04 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 52 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 | 62.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
117 flood losses since 2016, $6.9 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 98. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 60% slabs, 11% crawl spaces, 27% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 29 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 98 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.04 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.07 in (-16.97) |
| 2025 | 48.62 in (-1.42) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 71.02 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 26.50 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at POCAHONTAS 1 (6 mi away) | 15.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,656 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $130,600 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County, AR | 20 mi | 29% | 62% |
| Ripley County, MO | 23 mi | 16% | 33% |
| Sharp County, AR | 28 mi | 48% | 4% |
| Greene County, AR | 30 mi | 21% | 77% |
| Oregon County, MO | 32 mi | 11% | 33% |
| Clay County, AR | 34 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Craighead County, AR | 42 mi | 9% | 85% |
| Carter County, MO | 42 mi | 2% | 18% |
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