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Madison County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Madison County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 37.4% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 156 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 24% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

84%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

24%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Madison County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.2%
High water table (limits basements)84.2%
Septic fields very limited92.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.5%
Mapped soil474,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Loring21%99%
Providence19%n/a
Ariel11%n/a
Oaklimeter8%n/a
Smithdale6%0%
Byram4%n/a
Yazoo County: 71%Rankin County: 77%Leake County: 62%Scott County: 87%Holmes County: 57%Hinds County: 65%Attala County: 57%Humphreys County: 92%Madison County YazooRankinLeakeScottHolmesHindsAttalaHumphreysMadison
Madison 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 MS089 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 84% of Madison 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: 45.42 in, 11.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.04 in.

USDA rates 92% 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 26 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 worse11.5%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

156 flood losses since 2016, $4.8 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 53. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 88% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 9% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.

YearFlood losses
201611
201753
20185
201921
202028
20213
202225
20231
20247
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202057.04 in
12 months to August 202645.42 in (-11.62)
202551.04 in (-6.00)
Wettest year since 18951979: 81.56 in
Driest year since 18951924: 32.06 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JACKSON INTL AP (22 mi away)18.4

Homes

Housing units47,440
Median year built1997
Built before 198024%
Built 2000 or later44%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$311,100
Single-family detached75%

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
Yazoo County, MS 22 mi 23% 71%
Rankin County, MS 26 mi 20% 77%
Leake County, MS 31 mi 1% 62%
Scott County, MS 33 mi 37% 87%
Holmes County, MS 34 mi 14% 57%
Hinds County, MS 36 mi 2% 65%
Attala County, MS 41 mi 1% 57%
Humphreys County, MS 45 mi 86% 92%

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