Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 65% of Caldwell Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 78% 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 84 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Caldwell Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 64.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.2% |
| Mapped soil | 346,100 acres |
How we count · survey areas LA021 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% 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 Caldwell Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 65% of Caldwell 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: 39.94 in, 17.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.29 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 41 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
84 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 70. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 55% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 35% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 70 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.29 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.94 in (-17.35) |
| 2025 | 53.01 in (-4.28) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 80.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2010: 31.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COLUMBIA LOCK (5 mi away) | 19.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,667 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $93,300 |
| Single-family detached | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Parish, LA | 26 mi | 21% | 83% |
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 26 mi | 24% | 54% |
| LaSalle Parish, LA | 29 mi | 18% | 52% |
| Jackson Parish, LA | 30 mi | 39% | 63% |
| Richland Parish, LA | 30 mi | 27% | 74% |
| Winn Parish, LA | 33 mi | 37% | 81% |
| Catahoula Parish, LA | 34 mi | 47% | 70% |
| Grant Parish, LA | 44 mi | 22% | 35% |
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