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Claiborne County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 35% of Claiborne County's mapped land, a higher share than 53% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

35%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

46%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Claiborne County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.8%
High water table (limits basements)34.9%
Septic fields very limited77.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)3.7%
Mapped soil320,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Memphis33%0%
Natchez11%n/a
Falaya8%n/a
Loring6%99%
Collins5%n/a
Grenada4%n/a
Jefferson County: 34%Tensas Parish: 89%Warren County: 49%Copiah County: 63%Madison Parish: 89%Hinds County: 65%Franklin County: 45%Lincoln County: 69%Claiborne County JeffersonTensasWarrenCopiahMadisonHindsFranklinLincolnClaiborne
Claiborne County (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 MS021 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 35% of Claiborne 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: 43.34 in, 13.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.26 in.

USDA rates 78% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 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 worse57%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

15 flood losses since 2016, $175,439 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20162
20172
20181
20193
20202
20212
20220
20230
20240
20252
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202057.26 in
12 months to August 202643.34 in (-13.92)
202551.73 in (-5.53)
Wettest year since 18951923: 76.80 in
Driest year since 18951924: 33.61 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ST JOSEPH 3 N (19 mi away)18.9

Homes

Housing units3,959
Median year built1982
Built before 198046%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$82,700
Single-family detached55%

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
Jefferson County, MS 18 mi 11% 34%
Tensas Parish, LA 25 mi 75% 89%
Warren County, MS 27 mi 19% 49%
Copiah County, MS 28 mi 14% 63%
Madison Parish, LA 32 mi 72% 89%
Hinds County, MS 33 mi 2% 65%
Franklin County, MS 34 mi 10% 45%
Lincoln County, MS 41 mi 1% 69%

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