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Stone County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 33% of Stone County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 11.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 27% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1996.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

10%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

33%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

27%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Stone County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)10.0%
High water table (limits basements)33.4%
Septic fields very limited68.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)10.0%
Mapped soil286,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
McLaurin20%n/a
Smithdale18%0%
Benndale13%n/a
Susquehanna10%n/a
Smithton9%n/a
Harleston7%n/a
Harrison County: 76%Perry County: 37%George County: 33%Pearl River County: 59%Forrest County: 34%Hancock County: 90%Jackson County: 69%Lamar County: 38%Stone County HarrisonPerryGeorgePearl RiverForrestHancockJacksonLamarStone
Stone 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 MS131 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 33% of Stone 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: 64.05 in, 0.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 64.98 in.

USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% 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 7 weeks, most recently on the May 12, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse12.2%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

33 flood losses since 2016, $1.7 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 22. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 48% slabs, 52% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 42.5 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20173
20180
20198
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date22

Rain

Average year, 1991-202064.98 in
12 months to August 202664.05 in (-0.93)
202557.27 in (-7.71)
Wettest year since 18952021: 92.62 in
Driest year since 18951954: 39.15 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAUCIER EXP FOREST (11 mi away)22.9

Homes

Housing units7,670
Median year built1996
Built before 198027%
Built 2000 or later43%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$161,100
Single-family detached73%

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
Harrison County, MS 26 mi 1% 76%
Perry County, MS 27 mi 12% 37%
George County, MS 28 mi 10% 33%
Pearl River County, MS 28 mi 3% 59%
Forrest County, MS 29 mi 8% 34%
Hancock County, MS 35 mi 2% 90%
Jackson County, MS 37 mi 0% 69%
Lamar County, MS 37 mi 8% 38%

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