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Panola County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Panola County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.

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. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

5%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

64%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

40%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Panola County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.7%
High water table (limits basements)64.3%
Septic fields very limited93.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)4.8%
Mapped soil451,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Collins16%n/a
Loring14%99%
Falaya11%n/a
Grenada8%n/a
Memphis5%0%
Alligator5%n/a
Tate County: 59%Quitman County: 91%Lafayette County: 33%Yalobusha County: 55%Tunica County: 81%Tallahatchie County: 69%DeSoto County: 66%Coahoma County: 75%Panola County TateQuitmanLafayetteYalobushaTunicaTallahatchieDeSotoCoahomaPanola
Panola 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 MS107 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 64% of Panola 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: 40.23 in, 15.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.16 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 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 worse8.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

15 flood losses since 2016, $351,184 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20165
20170
20180
20190
20201
20214
20220
20235
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202056.16 in
12 months to August 202640.23 in (-15.93)
202551.10 in (-5.06)
Wettest year since 18951991: 76.92 in
Driest year since 18951943: 36.20 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SARDIS DAM (10 mi away)17.8

Homes

Housing units14,717
Median year built1988
Built before 198040%
Built 2000 or later23%
Owner-occupied71%
Median value, owner-occupied$127,800
Single-family detached67%

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
Tate County, MS 20 mi 2% 59%
Quitman County, MS 20 mi 69% 91%
Lafayette County, MS 27 mi 14% 33%
Yalobusha County, MS 27 mi 2% 55%
Tunica County, MS 31 mi 68% 81%
Tallahatchie County, MS 31 mi 35% 69%
DeSoto County, MS 35 mi 3% 66%
Coahoma County, MS 38 mi 48% 75%

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