Sebastian County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 46% of Sebastian County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 137 flood losses here since 2016, 2% of them in buildings with basements. 49% 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 Sebastian County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 46.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.3% |
| Mapped soil | 348,807 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Leadvale | 22% | n/a |
| Mountainburg | 21% | n/a |
| Enders | 18% | n/a |
| Taft | 9% | n/a |
| Cane | 5% | n/a |
| Wrightsville | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR131 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
On 46% of Sebastian 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: 42.87 in, 8.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.74 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 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 | 94.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 4.8% |
Flood losses since 2016
137 flood losses since 2016, $13.8 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 89. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 2% basements, 81% slabs, 11% crawl spaces, 6% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 20.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 89 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 28 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.87 in (-8.87) |
| 2025 | 55.98 in (+4.24) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 80.50 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 24.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT SMITH RGNL AP (11 mi away) | 14 |
Homes
| Housing units | 57,470 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $176,200 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, AR | 26 mi | 35% | 15% |
| Crawford County, AR | 27 mi | 16% | 15% |
| Franklin County, AR | 31 mi | 15% | 19% |
| Logan County, AR | 31 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Le Flore County, OK | 32 mi | 33% | 30% |
| Sequoyah County, OK | 34 mi | 6% | 26% |
| Haskell County, OK | 46 mi | 32% | 36% |
| Polk County, AR | 49 mi | 5% | 14% |
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