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Simpson County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Simpson County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

8%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

47%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

43%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Simpson County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.7%
High water table (limits basements)46.8%
Septic fields very limited91.3%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.7%
Mapped soil378,100 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale35%0%
Savannah12%n/a
Ruston7%n/a
Ora6%n/a
Petal5%n/a
Jena5%n/a
Jefferson Davis County: 37%Rankin County: 77%Smith County: 48%Lawrence County: 45%Covington County: 45%Copiah County: 63%Lincoln County: 69%Hinds County: 65%Simpson County Jefferson DavisRankinSmithLawrenceCovingtonCopiahLincolnHindsSimpson
Simpson 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 MS127 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 47% of Simpson 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: 44.66 in, 14.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.80 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 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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 worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

9 flood losses since 2016, $547,985 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 3.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20181
20192
20202
20210
20220
20230
20243
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202058.80 in
12 months to August 202644.66 in (-14.14)
202553.10 in (-5.70)
Wettest year since 18951961: 79.13 in
Driest year since 18951924: 35.40 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at D'LO 2 SW (4 mi away)18.6

Homes

Housing units11,694
Median year built1986
Built before 198043%
Built 2000 or later30%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$122,200
Single-family detached70%

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
Jefferson Davis County, MS 24 mi 6% 37%
Rankin County, MS 25 mi 20% 77%
Smith County, MS 26 mi 6% 48%
Lawrence County, MS 27 mi 11% 45%
Covington County, MS 29 mi 5% 45%
Copiah County, MS 31 mi 14% 63%
Lincoln County, MS 41 mi 1% 69%
Hinds County, MS 41 mi 2% 65%

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