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Union County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Union County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.

100% 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. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

9%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

50%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

43%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Union County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)9.5%
High water table (limits basements)50.2%
Septic fields very limited98.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.5%
Mapped soil266,700 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale26%0%
Providence13%n/a
Mantachie9%n/a
Arkabutla8%n/a
Sweatman7%n/a
Jena7%n/a
Pontotoc County: 77%Tippah County: 49%Lee County: 61%Benton County: 37%Prentiss County: 49%Lafayette County: 33%Marshall County: 56%Alcorn County: 63%Union County PontotocTippahLeeBentonPrentissLafayetteMarshallAlcornUnion
Union 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 MS145 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 50% of Union 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: 44.82 in, 13.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.91 in.

USDA rates 99% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 10 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 worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202057.91 in
12 months to August 202644.82 in (-13.09)
202555.57 in (-2.34)
Wettest year since 18951991: 81.59 in
Driest year since 18951918: 36.95 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HICKORY FLAT (14 mi away)18.4

Homes

Housing units12,250
Median year built1985
Built before 198043%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied75%
Median value, owner-occupied$163,400
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
Pontotoc County, MS 18 mi 30% 77%
Tippah County, MS 20 mi 14% 49%
Lee County, MS 23 mi 28% 61%
Benton County, MS 25 mi 0% 37%
Prentiss County, MS 29 mi 15% 49%
Lafayette County, MS 29 mi 14% 33%
Marshall County, MS 34 mi 2% 56%
Alcorn County, MS 36 mi 2% 63%

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