HomeMississippiPontotoc County
Pontotoc County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 77% of Pontotoc County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 30%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Pontotoc County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.9% |
| Mapped soil | 309,029 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Providence | 15% | n/a |
| Falkner | 7% | n/a |
| Arkabutla | 7% | n/a |
| Ora | 7% | n/a |
| Tippah | 6% | n/a |
| Mayhew | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS115 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.9% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 30% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 30% of Pontotoc County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 77% of Pontotoc 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: 41.05 in, 16.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.02 in.
USDA rates 98% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 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 | 49.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $41,323 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.05 in (-16.97) |
| 2025 | 55.54 in (-2.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 83.57 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 36.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PONTOTOC (3 mi away) | 19.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,221 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,100 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, MS | 18 mi | 9% | 50% |
| Lee County, MS | 21 mi | 28% | 61% |
| Chickasaw County, MS | 21 mi | 31% | 86% |
| Calhoun County, MS | 26 mi | 11% | 69% |
| Lafayette County, MS | 27 mi | 14% | 33% |
| Tippah County, MS | 38 mi | 14% | 49% |
| Itawamba County, MS | 39 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Monroe County, MS | 39 mi | 28% | 72% |
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