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Washington County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Washington County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties and the 6th highest of 82 Mississippi counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 65%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 364 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 66% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Washington County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 64.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 76.0% |
| Mapped soil | 485,271 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 30% | 99% |
| Commerce | 13% | n/a |
| Dowling | 12% | n/a |
| Alligator | 8% | n/a |
| Forestdale | 8% | n/a |
| Bosket (askew) | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MS151 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.9% by land area here, and 76% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 65% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 65% of Washington County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 88% of Washington 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: 33.71 in, 22.25 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 55.96 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 30 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 98.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 30.1% |
Flood losses since 2016
364 flood losses since 2016, $7.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 197. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 81% slabs, 7% crawl spaces, 12% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 197 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 35 |
| 2019 | 96 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 55.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.71 in (-22.25) |
| 2025 | 54.17 in (-1.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 73.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2010: 32.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at EUDORA (21 mi away) | 19.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 20,867 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 66% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $104,000 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicot County, AR | 21 mi | 51% | 72% |
| Humphreys County, MS | 26 mi | 86% | 92% |
| Sharkey County, MS | 27 mi | 79% | 96% |
| Sunflower County, MS | 31 mi | 76% | 92% |
| Issaquena County, MS | 36 mi | 69% | 84% |
| Bolivar County, MS | 37 mi | 63% | 86% |
| East Carroll Parish, LA | 41 mi | 56% | 83% |
| Desha County, AR | 42 mi | 55% | 70% |
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