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Union Parish, Louisiana

A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Union Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 160 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

48%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

39%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Union Parish

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.4%
High water table (limits basements)47.5%
Septic fields very limited84.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.7%
Mapped soil578,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Darley15%n/a
Ruston10%n/a
Guyton9%n/a
Sacul9%93%
Kirvin5%n/a
Iuka4%n/a
Lincoln Parish: 36%Union County: 74%Ouachita Parish: 54%Morehouse Parish: 79%Claiborne Parish: 28%Jackson Parish: 63%Ashley County: 80%Bradley County: 79%Union Parish LincolnUnionOuachitaMorehouseClaiborneJacksonAshleyBradleyUnion
Union 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 LA111 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 48% of Union 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: 39.50 in, 16.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.47 in.

USDA rates 85% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse100%
D4 exceptional35.9%

Flood losses since 2016

160 flood losses since 2016, $6.8 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 144. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 60% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 34% elevated.

YearFlood losses
2016144
20170
20186
20194
20203
20210
20220
20232
20240
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202056.47 in
12 months to August 202639.50 in (-16.97)
202553.41 in (-3.06)
Wettest year since 18951991: 75.73 in
Driest year since 18951924: 33.12 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RUSTON LA TECH (27 mi away)19

Homes

Housing units10,431
Median year built1987
Built before 198039%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$112,500
Single-family detached59%

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
Lincoln Parish, LA 23 mi 8% 36%
Union County, AR 27 mi 15% 74%
Ouachita Parish, LA 27 mi 24% 54%
Morehouse Parish, LA 33 mi 30% 79%
Claiborne Parish, LA 36 mi 22% 28%
Jackson Parish, LA 38 mi 39% 63%
Ashley County, AR 43 mi 11% 80%
Bradley County, AR 46 mi 6% 79%

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