Bossier Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 58% of Bossier Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 379 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 36% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Bossier Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 47.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 58.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 42.4% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.3% |
| Mapped soil | 554,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wrightsville | 8% | n/a |
| Sacul | 8% | 93% |
| Gore | 7% | n/a |
| Moreland | 6% | n/a |
| Kolin | 6% | n/a |
| Ashford | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA015 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.8% by land area here, and 42% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Bossier Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 58% of Bossier 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: 36.76 in, 16.57 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.33 in.
USDA rates 76% 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 48 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 | 46.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
379 flood losses since 2016, $13.3 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 307. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 79% slabs, 1% crawl spaces, 20% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 307 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 24 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 to date | 9 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.33 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.76 in (-16.57) |
| 2025 | 48.01 in (-5.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 74.01 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 29.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SHREVEPORT DWTN (14 mi away) | 15.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 56,743 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 36% |
| Built 2000 or later | 39% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $227,200 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caddo Parish, LA | 17 mi | 31% | 50% |
| Webster Parish, LA | 17 mi | 20% | 47% |
| Lafayette County, AR | 38 mi | 49% | 61% |
| Claiborne Parish, LA | 38 mi | 22% | 28% |
| Bienville Parish, LA | 42 mi | 24% | 54% |
| Marion County, TX | 43 mi | 4% | 38% |
| Columbia County, AR | 43 mi | 23% | 81% |
| Red River Parish, LA | 44 mi | 29% | 51% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status