Caddo Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Caddo Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 404 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Caddo Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 5.8% |
| Mapped soil | 600,400 acres |
How we count · survey areas LA017 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 31% of Caddo Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 50% of Caddo 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: 37.50 in, 14.66 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 52.16 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 32 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 | 13.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
404 flood losses since 2016, $13.3 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 265. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 76% slabs, 9% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 7 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 265 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 34 |
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2026 to date | 14 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 52.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.50 in (-14.66) |
| 2025 | 49.67 in (-2.49) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1905: 73.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 30.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SHREVEPORT DWTN (9 mi away) | 15.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 112,612 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,700 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bossier Parish, LA | 17 mi | 47% | 58% |
| Harrison County, TX | 29 mi | 24% | 53% |
| Marion County, TX | 31 mi | 4% | 38% |
| Webster Parish, LA | 33 mi | 20% | 47% |
| De Soto Parish, LA | 37 mi | 45% | 46% |
| Panola County, TX | 38 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Cass County, TX | 44 mi | 4% | 37% |
| Red River Parish, LA | 46 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