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East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of East Baton Rouge Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13,745 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 East Baton Rouge Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 4.7% |
| Mapped soil | 301,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Oprairie | 17% | n/a |
| Gilbert | 9% | n/a |
| Calhoun | 7% | n/a |
| Frost | 6% | n/a |
| Scotlandville | 6% | n/a |
| Deerford | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA033 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 72% of East Baton Rouge 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: 62.07 in, 1.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 63.34 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 11 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 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 | 26.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13,745 flood losses since 2016, $1.21 billion paid. The worst year was 2016, with 11,647. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 91% slabs, 2% crawl spaces, 6% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 11,647 |
| 2017 | 61 |
| 2018 | 56 |
| 2019 | 231 |
| 2020 | 123 |
| 2021 | 1,434 |
| 2022 | 47 |
| 2023 | 42 |
| 2024 | 30 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 to date | 54 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 63.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 62.07 in (-1.27) |
| 2025 | 57.57 in (-5.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2021: 85.56 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 36.97 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BATON ROUGE RYAN AP (3 mi away) | 19.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 206,591 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $248,800 |
| Single-family detached | 62% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Baton Rouge Parish, LA | 14 mi | 44% | 81% |
| East Feliciana Parish, LA | 21 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Livingston Parish, LA | 23 mi | 27% | 86% |
| Iberville Parish, LA | 25 mi | 54% | 88% |
| Ascension Parish, LA | 26 mi | 46% | 91% |
| St. Helena Parish, LA | 30 mi | 0% | 66% |
| West Feliciana Parish, LA | 30 mi | 14% | 45% |
| Pointe Coupee Parish, LA | 32 mi | 20% | 73% |
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