Scott County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35% of Scott County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Scott County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.0% |
| Mapped soil | 575,027 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Carnasaw | 33% | 86% |
| Enders | 11% | n/a |
| Sherless | 11% | n/a |
| Leadvale | 9% | n/a |
| Nella | 4% | n/a |
| Mountainburg | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR127 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 35% of Scott County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 15% of Scott 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: 42.62 in, 11.52 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.14 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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 | 41% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $499,263 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.14 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.62 in (-11.52) |
| 2025 | 57.14 in (+3.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 78.00 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 27.35 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALDRON (5 mi away) | 17.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,862 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $115,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian County, AR | 26 mi | 5% | 46% |
| Polk County, AR | 27 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Montgomery County, AR | 31 mi | 5% | 26% |
| Logan County, AR | 32 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Le Flore County, OK | 36 mi | 33% | 30% |
| Yell County, AR | 38 mi | 20% | 31% |
| Franklin County, AR | 46 mi | 15% | 19% |
| Crawford County, AR | 51 mi | 16% | 15% |
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