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Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Jefferson Davis County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

37%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Jefferson Davis County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)6.2%
High water table (limits basements)36.8%
Septic fields very limited76.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)6.8%
Mapped soil261,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale26%0%
Ruston26%n/a
Ora12%n/a
Savannah4%n/a
Jena4%n/a
Falkner4%n/a
Lawrence County: 45%Covington County: 45%Marion County: 37%Simpson County: 47%Lamar County: 38%Walthall County: 49%Smith County: 48%Lincoln County: 69%Jefferson Davis County LawrenceCovingtonMarionSimpsonLamarWalthallSmithLincolnJefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis 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 MS065 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 37% of Jefferson Davis 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: 47.45 in, 12.94 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 60.39 in.

USDA rates 76% 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 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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 worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202060.39 in
12 months to August 202647.45 in (-12.94)
202549.37 in (-11.02)
Wettest year since 18951961: 89.90 in
Driest year since 18951954: 36.75 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PRENTISS (4 mi away)19.6

Homes

Housing units5,702
Median year built1986
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later30%
Owner-occupied85%
Median value, owner-occupied$90,100
Single-family detached67%

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
Lawrence County, MS 17 mi 11% 45%
Covington County, MS 17 mi 5% 45%
Marion County, MS 23 mi 3% 37%
Simpson County, MS 24 mi 8% 47%
Lamar County, MS 32 mi 8% 38%
Walthall County, MS 32 mi under 1% 49%
Smith County, MS 37 mi 6% 48%
Lincoln County, MS 37 mi 1% 69%

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