Stone County, Arkansas
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 10% of Stone County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 9%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 24.5% 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. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Stone County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 8.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.5% |
| Mapped soil | 390,163 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Noark | 13% | n/a |
| Linker | 11% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 10% | under 1% |
| Nella | 10% | n/a |
| Mountainburg | 8% | n/a |
| Enders | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR137 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.55 in, 18.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.11 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 9% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Stone County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
24.5% 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 39 weeks, most recently on the September 8, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 24.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 12.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Stone County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.55 in (-18.56) |
| 2025 | 48.92 in (-2.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 74.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 28.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CALICO ROCK 2 WSW (17 mi away) | 15 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,825 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,600 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleburne County, AR | 20 mi | 9% | 6% |
| Izard County, AR | 21 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Van Buren County, AR | 28 mi | 17% | 3% |
| Searcy County, AR | 30 mi | 22% | 5% |
| Baxter County, AR | 31 mi | 40% | 13% |
| Independence County, AR | 35 mi | 18% | 30% |
| Marion County, AR | 40 mi | 24% | 13% |
| Fulton County, AR | 41 mi | 66% | 3% |
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