Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 54% of Ouachita Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,990 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 46% 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 Ouachita Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 53.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 57.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.6% |
| Mapped soil | 404,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Perry | 14% | 91% |
| Ruston | 10% | n/a |
| Guyton | 10% | n/a |
| Hebert | 7% | n/a |
| Portland | 6% | n/a |
| Frizzell | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA073 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% 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 24% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 24% of Ouachita Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 54% of Ouachita 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: 41.03 in, 15.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.01 in.
USDA rates 57% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 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 | 33.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1,990 flood losses since 2016, $97.0 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 1,765. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 90% slabs, 2% crawl spaces, 8% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1,765 |
| 2017 | 25 |
| 2018 | 47 |
| 2019 | 65 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 28 |
| 2026 to date | 6 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 57.01 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.03 in (-15.98) |
| 2025 | 52.68 in (-4.33) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 81.60 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 31.28 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONROE RGNL AP (7 mi away) | 17.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 71,172 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $194,400 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Parish, LA | 24 mi | 27% | 74% |
| Caldwell Parish, LA | 26 mi | 25% | 65% |
| Jackson Parish, LA | 27 mi | 39% | 63% |
| Union Parish, LA | 27 mi | 10% | 48% |
| Morehouse Parish, LA | 31 mi | 30% | 79% |
| Lincoln Parish, LA | 31 mi | 8% | 36% |
| Franklin Parish, LA | 37 mi | 21% | 83% |
| West Carroll Parish, LA | 46 mi | 13% | 93% |
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