Sharp County, Arkansas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 48% of Sharp County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties and the 7th highest of 75 Arkansas counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 25 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Sharp County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 48.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 48.0% |
| Mapped soil | 388,429 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Gepp | 33% | n/a |
| Boden | 19% | n/a |
| Doniphan | 8% | n/a |
| Portia | 6% | n/a |
| Arkana | 4% | n/a |
| Moko | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR135 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 48% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 48% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 48% of Sharp County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.52 in, 20.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.44 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 1.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
25 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 22. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 13% slabs, 13% crawl spaces, 74% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 22 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.52 in (-20.92) |
| 2025 | 50.77 in (+0.33) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 69.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 26.67 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EVENING SHADE 1 NNE (10 mi away) | 15.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,525 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $105,100 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County, AR | 23 mi | 66% | 3% |
| Lawrence County, AR | 24 mi | 29% | 62% |
| Izard County, AR | 24 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Randolph County, AR | 28 mi | 40% | 40% |
| Independence County, AR | 31 mi | 18% | 30% |
| Oregon County, MO | 35 mi | 11% | 33% |
| Jackson County, AR | 43 mi | 27% | 72% |
| Stone County, AR | 44 mi | 10% | 9% |
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