Searcy County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22% of Searcy County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%.
2.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Searcy County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 5.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.8% |
| Mapped soil | 427,533 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Noark | 19% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 12% | under 1% |
| Nella | 12% | n/a |
| Enders | 11% | n/a |
| Mountainburg | 5% | n/a |
| Steprock | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR129 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.1% by land area here, and 18% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 2.8% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Searcy County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 34.54 in, 15.23 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.77 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
2.8% 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 June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 2.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Searcy County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.77 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.54 in (-15.23) |
| 2025 | 49.42 in (-0.35) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 78.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 26.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARSHALL (2 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,721 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $110,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County, AR | 23 mi | 17% | 3% |
| Marion County, AR | 26 mi | 24% | 13% |
| Newton County, AR | 29 mi | 16% | 2% |
| Stone County, AR | 30 mi | 10% | 9% |
| Baxter County, AR | 33 mi | 40% | 13% |
| Boone County, AR | 35 mi | 19% | 23% |
| Pope County, AR | 36 mi | 12% | 13% |
| Conway County, AR | 44 mi | 11% | 27% |
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