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Hinds County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 65% of Hinds County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 446 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

65%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

62%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Hinds County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.8%
High water table (limits basements)65.3%
Septic fields very limited86.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.9%
Urban land, not rated2.6%
Mapped soil561,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Memphis23%0%
Loring20%99%
Riedtown11%n/a
Providence9%n/a
Oaklimeter9%n/a
Grenada3%n/a
Warren County: 49%Copiah County: 63%Rankin County: 77%Claiborne County: 35%Yazoo County: 71%Madison County: 84%Simpson County: 47%Madison Parish: 89%Hinds County WarrenCopiahRankinClaiborneYazooMadisonSimpsonMadisonHinds
Hinds 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 MS049 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 65% of Hinds 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: 42.09 in, 15.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.24 in.

USDA rates 87% 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 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 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 worse62.2%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

446 flood losses since 2016, $12.8 million paid. The worst year was 2020, with 225. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 86% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 7% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.

YearFlood losses
201636
201740
201816
201949
2020225
202124
202231
20239
20249
20255
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202057.24 in
12 months to August 202642.09 in (-15.15)
202549.96 in (-7.28)
Wettest year since 18952020: 82.65 in
Driest year since 18951924: 32.53 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CRYSTAL SPGS EXP STN (23 mi away)20.4

Homes

Housing units106,340
Median year built1974
Built before 198062%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied58%
Median value, owner-occupied$159,900
Single-family detached69%

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
Warren County, MS 23 mi 19% 49%
Copiah County, MS 28 mi 14% 63%
Rankin County, MS 30 mi 20% 77%
Claiborne County, MS 33 mi 1% 35%
Yazoo County, MS 35 mi 23% 71%
Madison County, MS 36 mi 1% 84%
Simpson County, MS 41 mi 8% 47%
Madison Parish, LA 46 mi 72% 89%

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