Richland Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 74% of Richland Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 144 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Richland Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 73.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.5% |
| Mapped soil | 360,700 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gilbert | 15% | n/a |
| Perry | 14% | 91% |
| Hebert | 9% | n/a |
| Forestdale | 7% | n/a |
| Rilla | 7% | n/a |
| Gigger | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA083 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Richland Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 74% of Richland 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: 40.55 in, 16.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.99 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 40 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
144 flood losses since 2016, $5.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 92. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 97% slabs, 3% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 92 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 41 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.55 in (-16.44) |
| 2025 | 52.00 in (-4.99) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 84.28 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 31.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OAK RIDGE (15 mi away) | 17.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,734 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $141,900 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Parish, LA | 19 mi | 21% | 83% |
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 24 mi | 24% | 54% |
| Morehouse Parish, LA | 28 mi | 30% | 79% |
| Madison Parish, LA | 30 mi | 72% | 89% |
| Caldwell Parish, LA | 30 mi | 25% | 65% |
| West Carroll Parish, LA | 31 mi | 13% | 93% |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 37 mi | 75% | 89% |
| East Carroll Parish, LA | 37 mi | 56% | 83% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status