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White County, Arkansas

A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of White County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 22 flood losses here since 2016. 33% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

13%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

52%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

33%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under White County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)13.4%
High water table (limits basements)52.2%
Septic fields very limited90.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)15.3%
Mapped soil666,777 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Linker16%n/a
Steprock9%n/a
Leadvale9%n/a
Enders7%n/a
Mountainburg6%n/a
Calhoun6%n/a
Cleburne County: 6%Woodruff County: 72%Prairie County: 80%Faulkner County: 38%Independence County: 30%Lonoke County: 80%Jackson County: 72%Pulaski County: 32%White County CleburneWoodruffPrairieFaulknerIndependenceLonokeJacksonPulaskiWhite
White County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas AR145 (2025-09-10)

What the numbers mean here

On 52% of White 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: 32.68 in, 18.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.44 in.

USDA rates 91% 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 39 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse96.3%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

22 flood losses since 2016, $790,247 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 15.

YearFlood losses
20162
201715
20183
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.44 in
12 months to August 202632.68 in (-18.76)
202550.14 in (-1.30)
Wettest year since 18951957: 81.68 in
Driest year since 18951943: 34.32 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEARCY (2 mi away)15.8

Homes

Housing units33,900
Median year built1992
Built before 198033%
Built 2000 or later33%
Owner-occupied69%
Median value, owner-occupied$163,600
Single-family detached66%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Cleburne County, AR 27 mi 9% 6%
Woodruff County, AR 29 mi 25% 72%
Prairie County, AR 31 mi 17% 80%
Faulkner County, AR 34 mi 6% 38%
Independence County, AR 35 mi 18% 30%
Lonoke County, AR 35 mi 22% 80%
Jackson County, AR 38 mi 27% 72%
Pulaski County, AR 46 mi 23% 32%

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