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Tallahatchie County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 69% of Tallahatchie County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Tallahatchie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 33.5% |
| Mapped soil | 418,200 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Alligator | 27% | n/a |
| Memphis | 17% | 0% |
| Dundee | 13% | n/a |
| Falaya | 6% | n/a |
| Dubbs | 5% | n/a |
| Collins | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS135 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.1% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 35% of Tallahatchie County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 69% of Tallahatchie 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: 36.15 in, 20.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.54 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 47 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 | 92.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $320,427 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.54 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.15 in (-20.39) |
| 2025 | 48.66 in (-7.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 78.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1918: 33.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ENID DAM (21 mi away) | 17.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,505 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $82,300 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quitman County, MS | 22 mi | 69% | 91% |
| Grenada County, MS | 25 mi | 4% | 53% |
| Yalobusha County, MS | 27 mi | 2% | 55% |
| Leflore County, MS | 29 mi | 61% | 79% |
| Panola County, MS | 31 mi | 5% | 64% |
| Coahoma County, MS | 31 mi | 48% | 75% |
| Sunflower County, MS | 34 mi | 76% | 92% |
| Carroll County, MS | 38 mi | 3% | 52% |
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