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Monroe County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 72% of Monroe County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Monroe County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.0% |
| Mapped soil | 494,300 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Mantachie | 7% | n/a |
| Vaiden | 6% | n/a |
| Ruston | 6% | n/a |
| Smithdale | 6% | 0% |
| Luverne | 6% | n/a |
| Savannah | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS095 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 28% of Monroe County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 72% of Monroe 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: 42.59 in, 14.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.71 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 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 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 | 30.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $502,684 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.71 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.59 in (-14.12) |
| 2025 | 52.83 in (-3.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1983: 77.99 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 33.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ABERDEEN (5 mi away) | 17.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,843 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $120,800 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, MS | 23 mi | 46% | 83% |
| Lamar County, AL | 24 mi | under 1% | 44% |
| Chickasaw County, MS | 27 mi | 31% | 86% |
| Itawamba County, MS | 28 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Lowndes County, MS | 29 mi | 41% | 66% |
| Lee County, MS | 30 mi | 28% | 61% |
| Marion County, AL | 39 mi | under 1% | 29% |
| Pontotoc County, MS | 39 mi | 30% | 77% |
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