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Smith County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 48% of Smith County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.

54.5% 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. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

6%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

48%

high water table: limits basements

55%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Smith County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)5.6%
High water table (limits basements)47.9%
Septic fields very limited86.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)5.7%
Mapped soil406,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale20%0%
Savannah15%n/a
Ruston11%n/a
Sweatman10%n/a
Stough6%n/a
Ora5%n/a
Jasper County: 48%Simpson County: 47%Covington County: 45%Scott County: 87%Rankin County: 77%Jones County: 56%Newton County: 47%Jefferson Davis County: 37%Smith County JasperSimpsonCovingtonScottRankinJonesNewtonJefferson DavisSmith
Smith 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 MS129 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 48% of Smith 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: 49.72 in, 9.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 59.00 in.

USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

54.5% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 21 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 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 worse54.5%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $6,033 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202059.00 in
12 months to August 202649.72 in (-9.28)
202553.25 in (-5.75)
Wettest year since 18951961: 82.44 in
Driest year since 18951963: 36.64 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MIZE 3SW (14 mi away)18.3

Homes

Housing units6,714
Median year built1986
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later31%
Owner-occupied87%
Median value, owner-occupied$112,600
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
Jasper County, MS 22 mi 15% 48%
Simpson County, MS 26 mi 8% 47%
Covington County, MS 27 mi 5% 45%
Scott County, MS 27 mi 37% 87%
Rankin County, MS 31 mi 20% 77%
Jones County, MS 34 mi 7% 56%
Newton County, MS 34 mi 10% 47%
Jefferson Davis County, MS 37 mi 6% 37%

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