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Jasper County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Jasper County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
13.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 16.1% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 33% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Jasper County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 18.3% |
| Mapped soil | 433,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sweatman | 14% | n/a |
| Smithdale | 10% | 0% |
| Vaiden | 7% | n/a |
| Heidel | 7% | n/a |
| Ora | 6% | n/a |
| Bibb | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS061 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 18% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 13.7% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Jasper County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 48% of Jasper 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: 53.32 in, 5.64 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.96 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
13.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 13.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Jasper County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 53.32 in (-5.64) |
| 2025 | 51.10 in (-7.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 84.06 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 38.47 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEWTON EXP STN (22 mi away) | 18.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,133 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,100 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County, MS | 22 mi | 6% | 48% |
| Clarke County, MS | 25 mi | 15% | 46% |
| Newton County, MS | 26 mi | 10% | 47% |
| Jones County, MS | 28 mi | 7% | 56% |
| Scott County, MS | 36 mi | 37% | 87% |
| Covington County, MS | 37 mi | 5% | 45% |
| Wayne County, MS | 37 mi | 15% | 40% |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 38 mi | 8% | 31% |
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