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Tunica County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 81% of Tunica County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 68%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Tunica County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 68.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 81.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 68.6% |
| Mapped soil | 306,100 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 44% | 99% |
| Tensas | 6% | n/a |
| Commerce | 5% | n/a |
| Tunica | 5% | n/a |
| Dundee | 4% | n/a |
| Newellton | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS143 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.3% by land area here, and 69% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 68% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 68% of Tunica County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 81% of Tunica 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: 39.92 in, 13.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.88 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 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 | 94.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 65.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $93,421 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.88 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.92 in (-13.96) |
| 2025 | 52.54 in (-1.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 76.32 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 34.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TUNICA 2 N (5 mi away) | 16.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,812 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 40% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,900 |
| Single-family detached | 40% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tate County, MS | 24 mi | 2% | 59% |
| Lee County, AR | 25 mi | 21% | 81% |
| DeSoto County, MS | 27 mi | 3% | 66% |
| Quitman County, MS | 28 mi | 69% | 91% |
| Panola County, MS | 31 mi | 5% | 64% |
| Phillips County, AR | 32 mi | 28% | 78% |
| Coahoma County, MS | 32 mi | 48% | 75% |
| St. Francis County, AR | 33 mi | 32% | 83% |
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