Sabine Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Sabine Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 68% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 39%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 18 flood losses here since 2016. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Sabine Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 38.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 38.4% |
| Mapped soil | 647,400 acres |
How we count · survey areas LA085 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 38% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 39% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 39% of Sabine Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 51% of Sabine 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: 43.88 in, 12.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.52 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 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
18 flood losses since 2016, $521,689 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 11.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.52 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.88 in (-12.64) |
| 2025 | 56.58 in (+0.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 82.41 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MANY 9 WSW (5 mi away) | 17.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,711 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $123,100 |
| Single-family detached | 49% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine County, TX | 23 mi | 31% | 26% |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 30 mi | 50% | 61% |
| De Soto Parish, LA | 36 mi | 45% | 46% |
| San Augustine County, TX | 38 mi | 20% | 28% |
| Shelby County, TX | 38 mi | 40% | 39% |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 38 mi | 22% | 51% |
| Red River Parish, LA | 39 mi | 29% | 51% |
| Newton County, TX | 54 mi | 13% | 36% |
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