Madison Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 89% of Madison Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 6th highest of 64 Louisiana counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 72%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 40 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Madison Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 71.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 73.9% |
| Mapped soil | 416,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 53% | 99% |
| Tensas | 11% | n/a |
| Commerce | 9% | n/a |
| Tunica | 9% | n/a |
| Dundee | 8% | n/a |
| Bruin | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA065 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.9% by land area here, and 74% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 72% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 72% of Madison Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 89% of Madison 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: 43.57 in, 13.26 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.83 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 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
40 flood losses since 2016, $685,085 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 14. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.83 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.57 in (-13.26) |
| 2025 | 51.48 in (-5.35) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 76.80 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 31.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TALLULAH (5 mi away) | 18.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,379 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 53% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $96,200 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County, MS | 23 mi | 19% | 49% |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 25 mi | 75% | 89% |
| East Carroll Parish, LA | 26 mi | 56% | 83% |
| Franklin Parish, LA | 29 mi | 21% | 83% |
| Richland Parish, LA | 30 mi | 27% | 74% |
| Issaquena County, MS | 31 mi | 69% | 84% |
| Claiborne County, MS | 32 mi | 1% | 35% |
| West Carroll Parish, LA | 33 mi | 13% | 93% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status