Iberville Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Iberville Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 9th highest of 64 Louisiana counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 54%.
The soil survey maps 80% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 31.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 19.7% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 190 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 40% 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 Iberville Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 53.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 88.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 53.6% |
| Mapped soil | 315,069 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Dowling | 19% | n/a |
| Commerce | 16% | n/a |
| Schriever | 11% | n/a |
| Sharkey | 10% | 99% |
| Convent | 8% | n/a |
| Fausse | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA047 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.1% by land area here, and 54% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 54% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 31.8% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 54% of Iberville Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 88% of Iberville 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: 59.37 in, 3.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 62.66 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
31.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 22 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 89.7% of its area, on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 31.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
190 flood losses since 2016, $10.2 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 96. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 73% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 23% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 74 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 96 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 62.66 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 59.37 in (-3.29) |
| 2025 | 59.41 in (-3.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 82.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 36.93 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLAQUEMINE 2 N (8 mi away) | 20.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,544 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,800 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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% |
| St. Martin Parish, LA | 18 mi | 57% | 84% |
| East Baton Rouge Parish, LA | 25 mi | 7% | 72% |
| Ascension Parish, LA | 27 mi | 46% | 91% |
| Assumption Parish, LA | 31 mi | 68% | 88% |
| Pointe Coupee Parish, LA | 33 mi | 20% | 73% |
| St. James Parish, LA | 38 mi | 68% | 92% |
| Livingston Parish, LA | 40 mi | 27% | 86% |
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