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Holmes County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 57% of Holmes County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

14%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

57%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Holmes County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)13.5%
High water table (limits basements)56.6%
Septic fields very limited79.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)12.5%
Mapped soil489,200 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Memphis25%0%
Loring11%99%
Collins8%n/a
Alligator8%n/a
Smithdale7%0%
Dundee5%n/a
Carroll County: 52%Humphreys County: 92%Attala County: 57%Yazoo County: 71%Leflore County: 79%Madison County: 84%Montgomery County: 61%Leake County: 62%Holmes County CarrollHumphreysAttalaYazooLefloreMadisonMontgomeryLeakeHolmes
Holmes 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 MS051 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 57% of Holmes 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: 38.90 in, 16.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.87 in.

USDA rates 79% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 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 worse81.1%
D3 extreme or worse21.8%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

9 flood losses since 2016, $371,361 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20195
20202
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202055.87 in
12 months to August 202638.90 in (-16.97)
202548.45 in (-7.42)
Wettest year since 18951983: 78.49 in
Driest year since 18951936: 34.72 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at YAZOO CITY 5 NNE (23 mi away)19.7

Homes

Housing units7,595
Median year built1982
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied61%
Median value, owner-occupied$80,400
Single-family detached61%

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
Carroll County, MS 24 mi 3% 52%
Humphreys County, MS 25 mi 86% 92%
Attala County, MS 29 mi 1% 57%
Yazoo County, MS 30 mi 23% 71%
Leflore County, MS 32 mi 61% 79%
Madison County, MS 34 mi 1% 84%
Montgomery County, MS 37 mi 1% 61%
Leake County, MS 42 mi 1% 62%

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