Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 82% of Vermilion Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 90% 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 1,155 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Vermilion Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 39.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 82.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 50.0% |
| Mapped soil | 835,210 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Allemands | 11% | n/a |
| Patoutville | 8% | n/a |
| Crowley | 7% | n/a |
| Kaplan | 5% | n/a |
| Bancker | 5% | n/a |
| Clovelly | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA113 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.9% by land area here, and 50% 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 Vermilion Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 82% of Vermilion 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: 45.90 in, 15.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.72 in.
USDA rates 76% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 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 | 92.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1,155 flood losses since 2016, $57.4 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 963. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 53% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 40% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 963 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 14 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 138 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 61.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.90 in (-15.82) |
| 2025 | 55.60 in (-6.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1940: 84.53 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 36.08 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LELAND BOWMAN LOCK (7 mi away) | 20 |
Homes
| Housing units | 26,142 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,300 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Parish, LA | 32 mi | 8% | 79% |
| Iberia Parish, LA | 32 mi | 31% | 84% |
| Acadia Parish, LA | 34 mi | 21% | 97% |
| Jefferson Davis Parish, LA | 44 mi | 45% | 94% |
| St. Martin Parish, LA | 48 mi | 57% | 84% |
| Cameron Parish, LA | 51 mi | 38% | 72% |
| St. Mary Parish, LA | 53 mi | 52% | 80% |
| St. Landry Parish, LA | 57 mi | 41% | 84% |
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