Franklin Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of Franklin Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 34 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Franklin Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 83.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.7% |
| Mapped soil | 406,800 acres |
How we count · survey areas LA041 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Franklin Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 83% of Franklin 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: 41.47 in, 15.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.43 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 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
34 flood losses since 2016, $852,511 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 15. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 86% slabs, 14% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 15 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.43 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.47 in (-15.96) |
| 2025 | 49.58 in (-7.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 79.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 31.47 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINNSBORO 5 SSE (3 mi away) | 18.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,926 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $113,000 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Parish, LA | 19 mi | 27% | 74% |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 21 mi | 75% | 89% |
| Caldwell Parish, LA | 26 mi | 25% | 65% |
| Madison Parish, LA | 29 mi | 72% | 89% |
| Catahoula Parish, LA | 34 mi | 47% | 70% |
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 37 mi | 24% | 54% |
| LaSalle Parish, LA | 43 mi | 18% | 52% |
| Claiborne County, MS | 46 mi | 1% | 35% |
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