Saline County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Saline County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 24%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 70 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 25% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
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 Saline County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 33.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 24.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 33.9% |
| Mapped soil | 467,449 acres |
How we count · survey areas AR125 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Saline County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 24% of Saline 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: 37.26 in, 17.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.06 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 43 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 | 8.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
70 flood losses since 2016, $4.1 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 15. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 85% slabs, 11% crawl spaces, 4% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.06 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.26 in (-17.80) |
| 2025 | 51.31 in (-3.75) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 82.11 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 31.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BENTON (7 mi away) | 18.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 52,934 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 25% |
| Built 2000 or later | 45% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $221,200 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County, AR | 22 mi | 23% | 32% |
| Perry County, AR | 25 mi | 38% | 17% |
| Garland County, AR | 27 mi | 10% | 7% |
| Hot Spring County, AR | 28 mi | 14% | 35% |
| Grant County, AR | 29 mi | 5% | 84% |
| Faulkner County, AR | 39 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Conway County, AR | 43 mi | 11% | 27% |
| Lonoke County, AR | 45 mi | 22% | 80% |
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