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Wayne County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of Wayne County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.

35.1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 10 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

15%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

40%

high water table: limits basements

35%

in drought, October 13, 2026

43%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Wayne County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)14.7%
High water table (limits basements)39.9%
Septic fields very limited84.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.7%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)17.7%
Mapped soil520,600 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Smithdale13%0%
Lorman8%n/a
Ruston6%n/a
Bibb6%n/a
Heidel5%n/a
McLaurin5%n/a
Clarke County: 46%Jones County: 56%Greene County: 47%Washington County: 71%Choctaw County: 35%Jasper County: 48%Perry County: 37%Forrest County: 34%Wayne County ClarkeJonesGreeneWashingtonChoctawJasperPerryForrestWayne
Wayne 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 MS153 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 40% of Wayne 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: 54.74 in, 6.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.19 in.

USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

35.1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 30 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 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 worse35.1%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

10 flood losses since 2016, $411,611 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20187
20191
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202061.19 in
12 months to August 202654.74 in (-6.45)
202552.36 in (-8.83)
Wettest year since 18951961: 86.35 in
Driest year since 18951954: 35.53 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAYNESBORO 2 W (2 mi away)20.3

Homes

Housing units9,143
Median year built1985
Built before 198043%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied85%
Median value, owner-occupied$91,100
Single-family detached65%

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
Clarke County, MS 28 mi 15% 46%
Jones County, MS 29 mi 7% 56%
Greene County, MS 30 mi 21% 47%
Washington County, AL 32 mi 5% 71%
Choctaw County, AL 35 mi 10% 35%
Jasper County, MS 37 mi 15% 48%
Perry County, MS 37 mi 12% 37%
Forrest County, MS 46 mi 8% 34%

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