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George County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 33% of George County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.

4.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 52.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 37% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

33%

high water table: limits basements

5%

in drought, October 13, 2026

37%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under George County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.4%
High water table (limits basements)33.1%
Septic fields very limited65.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.4%
Mapped soil309,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
McLaurin16%n/a
Benndale11%n/a
Susquehanna10%n/a
Wadley8%n/a
Dorovan7%n/a
Alaga5%n/a
Greene County: 47%Jackson County: 69%Stone County: 33%Mobile County: 47%Perry County: 37%Harrison County: 76%Forrest County: 34%Washington County: 71%George County GreeneJacksonStoneMobilePerryHarrisonForrestWashingtonGeorge
George 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 MS039 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 33% of George 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: 56.66 in, 7.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 64.45 in.

USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

4.7% 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 14 weeks, most recently on the September 8, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse53%
D1 moderate drought or worse4.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

12 flood losses since 2016, $112,052 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20164
20172
20180
20191
20201
20212
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202064.45 in
12 months to August 202656.66 in (-7.79)
202557.65 in (-6.80)
Wettest year since 18951961: 96.78 in
Driest year since 18951954: 40.45 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEAKESVILLE (21 mi away)19.2

Homes

Housing units10,373
Median year built1989
Built before 198037%
Built 2000 or later34%
Owner-occupied82%
Median value, owner-occupied$166,900
Single-family detached79%

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
Greene County, MS 25 mi 21% 47%
Jackson County, MS 28 mi 0% 69%
Stone County, MS 28 mi 10% 33%
Mobile County, AL 29 mi 2% 47%
Perry County, MS 30 mi 12% 37%
Harrison County, MS 40 mi 1% 76%
Forrest County, MS 43 mi 8% 34%
Washington County, AL 46 mi 5% 71%

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