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Bolivar County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 86% of Bolivar County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties and the 8th highest of 82 Mississippi counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 88 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Bolivar County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 63.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 86.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 72.2% |
| Mapped soil | 594,455 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 26% | 99% |
| Dowling | 16% | n/a |
| Forestdale | 10% | n/a |
| Dundee | 8% | n/a |
| Commerce | 8% | n/a |
| Alligator | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS011 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.3% by land area here, and 72% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 63% of Bolivar County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 86% of Bolivar County'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: 32.13 in, 22.61 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.74 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 72.6% |
Flood losses since 2016
88 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 37. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 70% slabs, 9% crawl spaces, 20% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 37 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 26 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.13 in (-22.61) |
| 2025 | 48.01 in (-6.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 74.71 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1918: 34.67 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KELSO (22 mi away) | 17.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,673 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $130,000 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desha County, AR | 21 mi | 55% | 70% |
| Sunflower County, MS | 21 mi | 76% | 92% |
| Coahoma County, MS | 34 mi | 48% | 75% |
| Washington County, MS | 37 mi | 65% | 88% |
| Leflore County, MS | 38 mi | 61% | 79% |
| Tallahatchie County, MS | 42 mi | 35% | 69% |
| Phillips County, AR | 43 mi | 28% | 78% |
| Chicot County, AR | 44 mi | 51% | 72% |
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