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Marshall County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 56% of Marshall County's mapped land, a higher share than 71% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 30% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

56%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

30%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Marshall County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.0%
High water table (limits basements)55.9%
Septic fields very limited94.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.1%
Mapped soil454,100 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Loring18%99%
Cahaba14%n/a
Providence10%n/a
Vicksburg8%n/a
Lexington6%n/a
Rosebloom4%n/a
Benton County: 37%Tate County: 59%Lafayette County: 33%DeSoto County: 66%Fayette County: 71%Tippah County: 49%Union County: 50%Shelby County: 61%Marshall County BentonTateLafayetteDeSotoFayetteTippahUnionShelbyMarshall
Marshall 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 MS093 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 56% of Marshall 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: 45.28 in, 12.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.42 in.

USDA rates 94% 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 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 worse44.1%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

3 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date2

Rain

Average year, 1991-202057.42 in
12 months to August 202645.28 in (-12.14)
202555.37 in (-2.05)
Wettest year since 18951991: 75.69 in
Driest year since 18951943: 38.32 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INDEPENDENCE 1W (19 mi away)17.1

Homes

Housing units15,519
Median year built1992
Built before 198030%
Built 2000 or later35%
Owner-occupied79%
Median value, owner-occupied$167,900
Single-family detached70%

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
Benton County, MS 18 mi 0% 37%
Tate County, MS 26 mi 2% 59%
Lafayette County, MS 29 mi 14% 33%
DeSoto County, MS 29 mi 3% 66%
Fayette County, TN 30 mi 0% 71%
Tippah County, MS 33 mi 14% 49%
Union County, MS 34 mi 9% 50%
Shelby County, TN 36 mi 4% 61%

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