De Soto Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 46% of De Soto Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 45%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.
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 De Soto Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 44.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 46.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 59.2% |
| Mapped soil | 572,400 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Eastwood | 35% | 0% |
| Keithville | 10% | n/a |
| Guyton | 8% | n/a |
| Metcalf | 5% | n/a |
| Latex | 4% | n/a |
| Keatchie | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA031 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.2% by land area here, and 59% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 45% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 45% of De Soto Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 46% of De Soto 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: 36.47 in, 17.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.22 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 49 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 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
9 flood losses since 2016, $306,739 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 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 | 54.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.47 in (-17.75) |
| 2025 | 51.28 in (-2.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 74.52 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.88 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LOGANSPORT (16 mi away) | 18.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,697 |
| Median year built | 1990 |
| Built before 1980 | 37% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $154,900 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
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 | 23 mi | 29% | 51% |
| Shelby County, TX | 30 mi | 40% | 39% |
| Panola County, TX | 34 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 36 mi | 39% | 51% |
| Caddo Parish, LA | 37 mi | 31% | 50% |
| Bossier Parish, LA | 44 mi | 47% | 58% |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 45 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Bienville Parish, LA | 45 mi | 24% | 54% |
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