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Walthall County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Walthall County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 31 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

<1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

49%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Walthall County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.2%
High water table (limits basements)48.7%
Septic fields very limited80.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.3%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.2%
Mapped soil258,800 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Ora25%n/a
Smithdale22%0%
Ruston19%n/a
Mantachie5%n/a
Wehadkee3%n/a
Savannah3%n/a
Marion County: 37%Pike County: 71%Washington Parish: 51%Lawrence County: 45%Jefferson Davis County: 37%Lincoln County: 69%Lamar County: 38%Pearl River County: 59%Walthall County MarionPikeWashingtonLawrenceJefferson DavisLincolnLamarPearl RiverWalthall
Walthall 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 MS147 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 49% of Walthall 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: 47.41 in, 15.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 63.17 in.

USDA rates 81% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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

31 flood losses since 2016, $886,250 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 25.

YearFlood losses
201625
20170
20181
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date4

Rain

Average year, 1991-202063.17 in
12 months to August 202647.41 in (-15.76)
202549.78 in (-13.39)
Wettest year since 18951961: 92.72 in
Driest year since 18951924: 38.59 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COLUMBIA (17 mi away)20.7

Homes

Housing units6,917
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied80%
Median value, owner-occupied$126,600
Single-family detached68%

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
Marion County, MS 17 mi 3% 37%
Pike County, MS 17 mi 0% 71%
Washington Parish, LA 22 mi under 1% 51%
Lawrence County, MS 27 mi 11% 45%
Jefferson Davis County, MS 32 mi 6% 37%
Lincoln County, MS 33 mi 1% 69%
Lamar County, MS 35 mi 8% 38%
Pearl River County, MS 41 mi 3% 59%

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