Woodruff County, Arkansas
A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of Woodruff County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25%.
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. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Woodruff County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.8% |
| Mapped soil | 380,103 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kobel | 12% | n/a |
| Tuckerman | 8% | n/a |
| Yancopin | 7% | n/a |
| Teksob | 6% | n/a |
| Overcup | 4% | n/a |
| Wiville | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AR147 (2025-09-10)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Woodruff County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 72% of Woodruff 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: 35.64 in, 14.77 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.41 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 33 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 | 65.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
22 flood losses since 2016, $542,563 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 16.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 16 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.64 in (-14.77) |
| 2025 | 49.13 in (-1.28) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 81.75 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 31.88 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at AUGUSTA (9 mi away) | 15.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,256 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $106,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross County, AR | 28 mi | 34% | 87% |
| Jackson County, AR | 28 mi | 27% | 72% |
| White County, AR | 29 mi | 13% | 52% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 30 mi | 32% | 83% |
| Prairie County, AR | 31 mi | 17% | 80% |
| Monroe County, AR | 36 mi | 29% | 81% |
| Lee County, AR | 39 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Poinsett County, AR | 41 mi | 27% | 90% |
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