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Lamar County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Lamar County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 46 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 21% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1999.
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 Lamar County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 48.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.5% |
| Mapped soil | 320,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| McLaurin | 36% | n/a |
| Prentiss | 11% | n/a |
| Freest | 9% | n/a |
| Susquehanna | 8% | n/a |
| Lucy | 8% | n/a |
| Trebloc | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS073 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Lamar 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: 57.44 in, 4.74 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 62.18 in.
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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 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 | 34.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
46 flood losses since 2016, $832,395 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 10. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 95% slabs, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 18 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 62.18 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 57.44 in (-4.74) |
| 2025 | 51.23 in (-10.95) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 95.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1899: 33.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PURVIS 2N (6 mi away) | 19.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 27,685 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 21% |
| Built 2000 or later | 48% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $224,700 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forrest County, MS | 15 mi | 8% | 34% |
| Marion County, MS | 19 mi | 3% | 37% |
| Pearl River County, MS | 30 mi | 3% | 59% |
| Covington County, MS | 30 mi | 5% | 45% |
| Perry County, MS | 31 mi | 12% | 37% |
| Jefferson Davis County, MS | 32 mi | 6% | 37% |
| Jones County, MS | 35 mi | 7% | 56% |
| Walthall County, MS | 35 mi | under 1% | 49% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 8, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status