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Marion County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 37% of Marion County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 76 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Marion County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 36.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.6% |
| Mapped soil | 351,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smithdale | 24% | 0% |
| Ruston | 15% | n/a |
| Savannah | 11% | n/a |
| Bibb | 7% | n/a |
| Stough | 4% | n/a |
| Jena | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS091 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
On 37% of Marion 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: 49.15 in, 12.37 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.52 in.
USDA rates 81% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
76 flood losses since 2016, $1.9 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 41. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 56% slabs, 21% crawl spaces, 23% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 41 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 21 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 61.52 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 49.15 in (-12.37) |
| 2025 | 49.55 in (-11.97) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 94.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1904: 37.31 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COLUMBIA (2 mi away) | 20.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,163 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $122,800 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walthall County, MS | 17 mi | under 1% | 49% |
| Lamar County, MS | 19 mi | 8% | 38% |
| Jefferson Davis County, MS | 23 mi | 6% | 37% |
| Lawrence County, MS | 28 mi | 11% | 45% |
| Washington Parish, LA | 29 mi | under 1% | 51% |
| Covington County, MS | 32 mi | 5% | 45% |
| Forrest County, MS | 33 mi | 8% | 34% |
| Pike County, MS | 34 mi | 0% | 71% |
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