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Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 94% of Jefferson Davis Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 2nd highest of 64 Louisiana 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 176 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Jefferson Davis Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 45.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.6% |
| Mapped soil | 421,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Crowley | 22% | n/a |
| Vidrine | 15% | n/a |
| Kaplan | 14% | n/a |
| Midland | 8% | n/a |
| Mowata | 7% | n/a |
| Edgerly | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA053 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.9% by land area here, and 48% 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 Jefferson Davis Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 94% of Jefferson Davis 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: 46.52 in, 14.95 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.47 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 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
176 flood losses since 2016, $4.9 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 97. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 68% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 29% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 9 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 97 |
| 2017 | 23 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 43 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 61.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.52 in (-14.95) |
| 2025 | 56.41 in (-5.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1940: 91.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 34.31 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JENNINGS (10 mi away) | 20.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,229 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $150,800 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia Parish, LA | 24 mi | 21% | 97% |
| Allen Parish, LA | 26 mi | 3% | 83% |
| Calcasieu Parish, LA | 32 mi | 18% | 84% |
| Cameron Parish, LA | 34 mi | 38% | 72% |
| Evangeline Parish, LA | 40 mi | 26% | 79% |
| Beauregard Parish, LA | 41 mi | 10% | 76% |
| Vermilion Parish, LA | 44 mi | 39% | 82% |
| Lafayette Parish, LA | 45 mi | 8% | 79% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status