HomeLouisianaNatchitoches Parish
Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 61% of Natchitoches Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 50%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 153 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Natchitoches Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 49.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 48.1% |
| Mapped soil | 832,000 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sacul | 14% | 93% |
| Moreland | 11% | n/a |
| Guyton | 10% | n/a |
| Latanier | 5% | n/a |
| Bellwood | 5% | n/a |
| Malbis | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA069 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% 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 50% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 50% of Natchitoches Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 61% of Natchitoches 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: 44.69 in, 12.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.55 in.
USDA rates 77% 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 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 37 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 | 28% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
153 flood losses since 2016, $5.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 127. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 59% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 33% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 127 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.69 in (-12.86) |
| 2025 | 52.16 in (-5.39) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2020: 78.89 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 29.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NATCHITOCHES (3 mi away) | 18.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,746 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,300 |
| Single-family detached | 56% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winn Parish, LA | 30 mi | 37% | 81% |
| Red River Parish, LA | 30 mi | 29% | 51% |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 30 mi | 39% | 51% |
| Grant Parish, LA | 32 mi | 22% | 35% |
| Bienville Parish, LA | 42 mi | 24% | 54% |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 44 mi | 22% | 51% |
| De Soto Parish, LA | 45 mi | 45% | 46% |
| Rapides Parish, LA | 49 mi | 31% | 52% |
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