Bienville Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Bienville Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Bienville Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 54.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.9% |
| Mapped soil | 526,400 acres |
How we count · survey areas LA013 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.7% by land area here, and 23% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 24% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 24% of Bienville Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 54% of Bienville Parish'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: 40.18 in, 16.34 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.52 in.
USDA rates 74% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 | 1.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $182,094 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.52 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.18 in (-16.34) |
| 2025 | 49.52 in (-7.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1946: 75.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 32.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BIENVILLE 3 NE (6 mi away) | 20.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,886 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $99,500 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red River Parish, LA | 24 mi | 29% | 51% |
| Jackson Parish, LA | 28 mi | 39% | 63% |
| Lincoln Parish, LA | 29 mi | 8% | 36% |
| Webster Parish, LA | 32 mi | 20% | 47% |
| Claiborne Parish, LA | 34 mi | 22% | 28% |
| Winn Parish, LA | 36 mi | 37% | 81% |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 42 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Bossier Parish, LA | 42 mi | 47% | 58% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status