Orleans Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Orleans Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4,905 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Orleans Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 36.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 15.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.6% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 223,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clovelly | 8% | n/a |
| Schriever | 8% | n/a |
| Lafitte | 4% | n/a |
| Harahan | 4% | n/a |
| Cancienne | 3% | n/a |
| Kenner | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA071 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 15.9% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
On 37% of Orleans 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: 55.01 in, 8.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 63.62 in.
Drought
0% 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 16 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4,905 flood losses since 2016, $118.1 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2,026. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 67% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 22% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 76 |
| 2017 | 884 |
| 2018 | 40 |
| 2019 | 1,152 |
| 2020 | 233 |
| 2021 | 2,026 |
| 2022 | 43 |
| 2023 | 67 |
| 2024 | 296 |
| 2025 | 49 |
| 2026 to date | 39 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 63.62 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 55.01 in (-8.61) |
| 2025 | 53.81 in (-9.81) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 102.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 37.75 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT AP (6 mi away) | 19.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 195,552 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 51% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $315,700 |
| Single-family detached | 46% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Tammany Parish, LA | 25 mi | 4% | 67% |
| St. Charles Parish, LA | 27 mi | 44% | 63% |
| St. John the Baptist Parish, LA | 34 mi | 43% | 61% |
| Jefferson Parish, LA | 36 mi | 27% | 44% |
| Hancock County, MS | 36 mi | 2% | 90% |
| St. Bernard Parish, LA | 41 mi | 30% | 47% |
| Lafourche Parish, LA | 48 mi | 42% | 74% |
| Tangipahoa Parish, LA | 48 mi | 2% | 73% |
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