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Humphreys County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 92% of Humphreys County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 82 Mississippi counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 86%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 26 flood losses here since 2016. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Humphreys County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 86.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 92.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 13.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 85.7% |
| Mapped soil | 275,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Alligator | 41% | n/a |
| Forestdale | 28% | n/a |
| Dowling | 16% | n/a |
| Dundee | 5% | n/a |
| Dubbs | 1% | n/a |
| Brittain | 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS053 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 13.1% by land area here, and 86% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 86% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 86% of Humphreys County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 92% of Humphreys 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: 35.55 in, 19.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.11 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 42% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
26 flood losses since 2016, $641,579 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.55 in (-19.56) |
| 2025 | 49.58 in (-5.53) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1982: 76.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 33.54 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BELZONI (4 mi away) | 19 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,509 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $87,800 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharkey County, MS | 24 mi | 79% | 96% |
| Holmes County, MS | 25 mi | 14% | 57% |
| Washington County, MS | 26 mi | 65% | 88% |
| Yazoo County, MS | 26 mi | 23% | 71% |
| Leflore County, MS | 32 mi | 61% | 79% |
| Sunflower County, MS | 33 mi | 76% | 92% |
| Issaquena County, MS | 38 mi | 69% | 84% |
| Carroll County, MS | 41 mi | 3% | 52% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status