Vernon Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 51% of Vernon Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 22%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 132 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Vernon Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 51.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.2% |
| Mapped soil | 858,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Guyton | 16% | n/a |
| Malbis | 16% | n/a |
| Eastwood | 10% | 0% |
| Ruston | 6% | n/a |
| Briley | 6% | n/a |
| Iulus | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA115 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.5% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 22% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 22% of Vernon Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 51% of Vernon 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: 48.42 in, 11.31 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.73 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 23 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
132 flood losses since 2016, $5.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 68. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 69% slabs, 10% crawl spaces, 21% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 68 |
| 2017 | 43 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 59.73 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 48.42 in (-11.31) |
| 2025 | 52.22 in (-7.51) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2004: 80.88 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 34.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEESVILLE (4 mi away) | 18.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 22,156 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 56% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $156,000 |
| Single-family detached | 51% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beauregard Parish, LA | 33 mi | 10% | 76% |
| Allen Parish, LA | 38 mi | 3% | 83% |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 38 mi | 39% | 51% |
| Rapides Parish, LA | 39 mi | 31% | 52% |
| Newton County, TX | 39 mi | 13% | 36% |
| Sabine County, TX | 43 mi | 31% | 26% |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 44 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Grant Parish, LA | 50 mi | 22% | 35% |
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