HomeLouisianaTangipahoa Parish

Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

A shallow water table limits basements on 73% of Tangipahoa Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

86.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 81.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 2,841 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 30% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

73%

high water table: limits basements

87%

in drought, October 13, 2026

30%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Tangipahoa Parish

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.8%
High water table (limits basements)73.1%
Septic fields very limited82.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.8%
Mapped soil523,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Tangi15%n/a
Guyton12%n/a
Maurepas10%n/a
Ruston9%n/a
Abita7%n/a
Toula7%n/a
St. Helena Parish: 66%Livingston Parish: 86%Washington Parish: 51%St. Tammany Parish: 67%St. John the Baptist Parish: 61%Pike County: 71%East Feliciana Parish: 67%East Baton Rouge Parish: 72%Tangipahoa Parish St. HelenaLivingstonWashingtonSt. TammanySt. John the BaptistPikeEast FelicianaEast Baton RougeTangipahoa
Tangipahoa Parish (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas LA105 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 73% of Tangipahoa 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: 58.36 in, 6.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 64.80 in.

USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

86.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 97.6% of its area, on the April 14, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse86.6%
D2 severe or worse2.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2,841 flood losses since 2016, $154.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 1,696. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 75% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 20% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.

YearFlood losses
20161,696
201715
20184
201914
202049
20211,031
20229
20236
202415
20251
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202064.80 in
12 months to August 202658.36 in (-6.44)
202547.54 in (-17.26)
Wettest year since 18952021: 93.42 in
Driest year since 18951924: 39.96 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PONCHATOULA (11 mi away)20.6

Homes

Housing units60,006
Median year built1993
Built before 198030%
Built 2000 or later40%
Owner-occupied70%
Median value, owner-occupied$212,900
Single-family detached65%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
St. Helena Parish, LA 23 mi 0% 66%
Livingston Parish, LA 23 mi 27% 86%
Washington Parish, LA 27 mi under 1% 51%
St. Tammany Parish, LA 31 mi 4% 67%
St. John the Baptist Parish, LA 33 mi 43% 61%
Pike County, MS 38 mi 0% 71%
East Feliciana Parish, LA 41 mi under 1% 67%
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 41 mi 7% 72%

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