Concordia Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Concordia Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 65%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 53 flood losses here since 2016. 55% 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 Concordia Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 64.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 82.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.9% |
| Mapped soil | 468,277 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 28% | 99% |
| Alligator | 20% | n/a |
| Tensas | 12% | n/a |
| Commerce | 6% | n/a |
| Dundee | 6% | n/a |
| Bruin | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA029 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.8% by land area here, and 66% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 65% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 65% of Concordia Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 83% of Concordia 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: 45.36 in, 12.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.28 in.
USDA rates 81% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 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 | 99.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
53 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 15.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 14 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.36 in (-12.92) |
| 2025 | 52.28 in (-6.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 80.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 32.51 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JONESVILLE LOCKS (14 mi away) | 19.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,040 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $103,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, MS | 16 mi | 9% | 27% |
| Catahoula Parish, LA | 19 mi | 47% | 70% |
| Wilkinson County, MS | 28 mi | 20% | 45% |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 34 mi | 55% | 68% |
| LaSalle Parish, LA | 35 mi | 18% | 52% |
| Jefferson County, MS | 39 mi | 11% | 34% |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 40 mi | 75% | 89% |
| West Feliciana Parish, LA | 43 mi | 14% | 45% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status