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Greene County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Greene County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
35.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Greene County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.8% |
| Mapped soil | 458,873 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lorman | 12% | n/a |
| McLaurin | 8% | n/a |
| Susquehanna | 6% | n/a |
| Malbis | 5% | n/a |
| Petal | 5% | n/a |
| Benndale | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS041 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 2.9% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 21% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 35.9% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 21% of Greene County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 47% of Greene 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: 52.83 in, 10.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 62.94 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
35.9% 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 October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 35.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $288,940 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 62.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 52.83 in (-10.11) |
| 2025 | 52.48 in (-10.46) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 95.75 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 38.23 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LEAKESVILLE (6 mi away) | 19.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,190 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $92,700 |
| Single-family detached | 61% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, MS | 21 mi | 12% | 37% |
| George County, MS | 25 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Washington County, AL | 28 mi | 5% | 71% |
| Wayne County, MS | 30 mi | 15% | 40% |
| Forrest County, MS | 37 mi | 8% | 34% |
| Stone County, MS | 41 mi | 10% | 33% |
| Jones County, MS | 42 mi | 7% | 56% |
| Mobile County, AL | 45 mi | 2% | 47% |
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