Rapides Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 52% of Rapides Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 715 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Rapides Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.7% |
| Mapped soil | 871,500 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Moreland | 12% | n/a |
| Coushatta | 8% | n/a |
| Ruston | 8% | n/a |
| Gore | 8% | n/a |
| Malbis | 7% | n/a |
| Beauregard | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA079 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 31% of Rapides Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 52% of Rapides 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: 50.09 in, 9.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.99 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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
715 flood losses since 2016, $25.8 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 298. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 80% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 16% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 59 |
| 2017 | 213 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 89 |
| 2020 | 298 |
| 2021 | 15 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 12 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 50.09 in (-9.90) |
| 2025 | 53.51 in (-6.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 81.97 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 36.30 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALEXANDRIA 5 SSE (6 mi away) | 19.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 58,573 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $181,100 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Parish, LA | 28 mi | 22% | 35% |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 33 mi | 55% | 68% |
| Evangeline Parish, LA | 34 mi | 26% | 79% |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 39 mi | 22% | 51% |
| LaSalle Parish, LA | 40 mi | 18% | 52% |
| Allen Parish, LA | 41 mi | 3% | 83% |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 49 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Winn Parish, LA | 52 mi | 37% | 81% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status