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Pearl River County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 59% of Pearl River County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.

13.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 21.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 124 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1990.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

59%

high water table: limits basements

14%

in drought, October 13, 2026

35%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Pearl River County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.9%
High water table (limits basements)59.2%
Septic fields very limited80.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)8.8%
Mapped soil524,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithton15%n/a
Malbis15%n/a
Smithdale11%0%
McLaurin8%n/a
Ruston7%n/a
Susquehanna6%n/a
Hancock County: 90%Washington Parish: 51%Stone County: 33%Lamar County: 38%St. Tammany Parish: 67%Marion County: 37%Forrest County: 34%Harrison County: 76%Pearl River County HancockWashingtonStoneLamarSt. TammanyMarionForrestHarrisonPearl River
Pearl River 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 MS109 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 59% of Pearl River 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: 61.83 in, 2.71 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 64.54 in.

USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

13.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the May 5, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse35.9%
D1 moderate drought or worse13.9%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

124 flood losses since 2016, $4.8 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 37. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 70% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 25% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8.5 in.

YearFlood losses
201637
20171
20182
201923
20202
202126
20220
20230
20247
20250
2026 to date26

Rain

Average year, 1991-202064.54 in
12 months to August 202661.83 in (-2.71)
202552.51 in (-12.03)
Wettest year since 18951961: 89.88 in
Driest year since 18951924: 36.88 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at POPLARVILLE EXP STN (5 mi away)20.9

Homes

Housing units25,442
Median year built1990
Built before 198035%
Built 2000 or later32%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$182,300
Single-family detached71%

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
Hancock County, MS 27 mi 2% 90%
Washington Parish, LA 28 mi under 1% 51%
Stone County, MS 28 mi 10% 33%
Lamar County, MS 30 mi 8% 38%
St. Tammany Parish, LA 33 mi 4% 67%
Marion County, MS 34 mi 3% 37%
Forrest County, MS 34 mi 8% 34%
Harrison County, MS 39 mi 1% 76%

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