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Jones County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 56% of Jones County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 52 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

56%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

48%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Jones County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.2%
High water table (limits basements)56.5%
Septic fields very limited82.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.4%
Mapped soil447,900 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale14%0%
Savannah14%n/a
Malbis13%n/a
Trebloc9%n/a
McLaurin6%n/a
Bibb5%n/a
Covington County: 45%Jasper County: 48%Wayne County: 40%Forrest County: 34%Perry County: 37%Smith County: 48%Lamar County: 38%Jefferson Davis County: 37%Jones County CovingtonJasperWayneForrestPerrySmithLamarJefferson DavisJones
Jones 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 MS067 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 56% of Jones 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: 54.61 in, 5.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 60.01 in.

USDA rates 83% 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 10 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 worse7.4%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

52 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 23. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 65% slabs, 19% crawl spaces, 15% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14 in.

YearFlood losses
201614
20173
201823
20192
20202
20212
20225
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202060.01 in
12 months to August 202654.61 in (-5.40)
202551.12 in (-8.89)
Wettest year since 18951961: 85.51 in
Driest year since 18951954: 35.24 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAUREL (5 mi away)19.9

Homes

Housing units28,826
Median year built1981
Built before 198048%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$143,100
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
Covington County, MS 22 mi 5% 45%
Jasper County, MS 28 mi 15% 48%
Wayne County, MS 29 mi 15% 40%
Forrest County, MS 30 mi 8% 34%
Perry County, MS 33 mi 12% 37%
Smith County, MS 34 mi 6% 48%
Lamar County, MS 35 mi 8% 38%
Jefferson Davis County, MS 39 mi 6% 37%

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