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Tate County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 59% of Tate County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

59%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

29%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Tate County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.4%
High water table (limits basements)58.7%
Septic fields very limited86.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.4%
Mapped soil263,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Grenada18%n/a
Collins18%n/a
Memphis14%0%
Falaya8%n/a
Loring4%99%
Alligator2%n/a
DeSoto County: 66%Panola County: 64%Tunica County: 81%Marshall County: 56%Lafayette County: 33%Quitman County: 91%Shelby County: 61%Crittenden County: 77%Tate County DeSotoPanolaTunicaMarshallLafayetteQuitmanShelbyCrittendenTate
Tate 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 MS137 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 59% of Tate 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: 42.35 in, 14.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.47 in.

USDA rates 87% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 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 worse6.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $764,835 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 5.

YearFlood losses
20164
20170
20180
20190
20205
20210
20220
20230
20240
20254
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202056.47 in
12 months to August 202642.35 in (-14.12)
202552.66 in (-3.81)
Wettest year since 18952002: 75.42 in
Driest year since 18951954: 35.19 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INDEPENDENCE 1W (8 mi away)17.1

Homes

Housing units11,694
Median year built1992
Built before 198029%
Built 2000 or later31%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$209,000
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
DeSoto County, MS 16 mi 3% 66%
Panola County, MS 20 mi 5% 64%
Tunica County, MS 24 mi 68% 81%
Marshall County, MS 26 mi 2% 56%
Lafayette County, MS 33 mi 14% 33%
Quitman County, MS 34 mi 69% 91%
Shelby County, TN 37 mi 4% 61%
Crittenden County, AR 43 mi 62% 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