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Prentiss County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Prentiss County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Prentiss County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.4% |
| Mapped soil | 267,900 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Smithdale | 16% | 0% |
| Luverne | 14% | n/a |
| Savannah | 9% | n/a |
| Okeelala | 9% | n/a |
| Ruston | 8% | n/a |
| Kipling | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS117 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.6% by land area here, and 15% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Prentiss County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 49% of Prentiss 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: 46.89 in, 11.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.69 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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 | 20.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Prentiss County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.89 in (-11.80) |
| 2025 | 55.82 in (-2.87) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 86.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1943: 35.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BOONEVILLE (2 mi away) | 18.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,050 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $122,500 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tishomingo County, MS | 18 mi | 0% | 28% |
| Alcorn County, MS | 19 mi | 2% | 63% |
| Lee County, MS | 24 mi | 28% | 61% |
| Tippah County, MS | 25 mi | 14% | 49% |
| Itawamba County, MS | 25 mi | 2% | 42% |
| Union County, MS | 29 mi | 9% | 50% |
| McNairy County, TN | 38 mi | 5% | 38% |
| Pontotoc County, MS | 40 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