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Harrison County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 76% of Harrison County's mapped land, a higher share than 85% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1,114 flood losses here since 2016, under 1% of them in buildings with basements. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

76%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

34%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Harrison County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.3%
High water table (limits basements)75.5%
Septic fields very limited86.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.3%
Mapped soil380,137 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Poarch24%n/a
Smithton10%n/a
Harleston9%n/a
Saucier7%n/a
Ruston6%n/a
Atmore5%n/a
Hancock County: 90%Stone County: 33%Jackson County: 69%St. Bernard Parish: 47%Pearl River County: 59%George County: 33%St. Tammany Parish: 67%Perry County: 37%Harrison County HancockStoneJacksonSt. BernardPearl RiverGeorgeSt. TammanyPerryHarrison
Harrison 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 MS047 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 76% of Harrison 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: 62.78 in, 2.74 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 65.52 in.

USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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 worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1,114 flood losses since 2016, $27.1 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 459. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: under 1% basements, 42% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 54% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 27 in.

YearFlood losses
2016147
2017121
201853
201917
2020459
2021146
202212
20234
20248
20253
2026 to date144

Rain

Average year, 1991-202065.52 in
12 months to August 202662.78 in (-2.74)
202560.19 in (-5.33)
Wettest year since 18952021: 95.72 in
Driest year since 18951954: 37.76 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BILOXI (5 mi away)20.5

Homes

Housing units94,898
Median year built1994
Built before 198034%
Built 2000 or later41%
Owner-occupied62%
Median value, owner-occupied$212,200
Single-family detached66%

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
Hancock County, MS 24 mi 2% 90%
Stone County, MS 26 mi 10% 33%
Jackson County, MS 27 mi 0% 69%
St. Bernard Parish, LA 36 mi 30% 47%
Pearl River County, MS 39 mi 3% 59%
George County, MS 40 mi 10% 33%
St. Tammany Parish, LA 52 mi 4% 67%
Perry County, MS 52 mi 12% 37%

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