LaSalle Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of LaSalle Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 18%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 56 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 LaSalle Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.4% |
| Mapped soil | 424,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Ruston | 10% | n/a |
| Guyton | 8% | n/a |
| Smithdale | 7% | 0% |
| Tippah | 7% | n/a |
| Falkner | 6% | n/a |
| Providence | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA059 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 18% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 18% of LaSalle Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 52% of LaSalle 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: 44.93 in, 13.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.22 in.
USDA rates 74% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 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
56 flood losses since 2016, $1.8 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 32. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 31% slabs, 69% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 74.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 32 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.93 in (-13.29) |
| 2025 | 52.88 in (-5.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 81.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 36.28 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JENA (2 mi away) | 20.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,202 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $119,500 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catahoula Parish, LA | 19 mi | 47% | 70% |
| Grant Parish, LA | 24 mi | 22% | 35% |
| Caldwell Parish, LA | 29 mi | 25% | 65% |
| Winn Parish, LA | 33 mi | 37% | 81% |
| Concordia Parish, LA | 35 mi | 65% | 83% |
| Rapides Parish, LA | 40 mi | 31% | 52% |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 42 mi | 55% | 68% |
| Franklin Parish, LA | 43 mi | 21% | 83% |
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