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Webster County, Mississippi

A shallow water table limits basements on 71% of Webster County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 40% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

13%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

71%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

45%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Webster County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.7%
High water table (limits basements)71.4%
Septic fields very limited99.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)11.8%
Mapped soil271,400 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Providence17%n/a
Sweatman13%n/a
Oaklimeter11%n/a
Tippah11%n/a
Smithdale10%0%
Ora8%n/a
Choctaw County: 53%Montgomery County: 61%Calhoun County: 69%Oktibbeha County: 80%Clay County: 83%Chickasaw County: 86%Grenada County: 53%Yalobusha County: 55%Webster County ChoctawMontgomeryCalhounOktibbehaClayChickasawGrenadaYalobushaWebster
Webster 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 MS155 (2025-09-08)

What the numbers mean here

On 71% of Webster 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: 41.05 in, 16.38 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 57.43 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 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 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

FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Webster County since 2016.

Rain

Average year, 1991-202057.43 in
12 months to August 202641.05 in (-16.38)
202552.06 in (-5.37)
Wettest year since 18951983: 82.69 in
Driest year since 18951943: 33.96 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CALHOUN CITY (17 mi away)19.1

Homes

Housing units5,114
Median year built1983
Built before 198045%
Built 2000 or later21%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$120,100
Single-family detached73%

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
Choctaw County, MS 18 mi 12% 53%
Montgomery County, MS 22 mi 1% 61%
Calhoun County, MS 23 mi 11% 69%
Oktibbeha County, MS 27 mi 43% 80%
Clay County, MS 29 mi 46% 83%
Chickasaw County, MS 29 mi 31% 86%
Grenada County, MS 32 mi 4% 53%
Yalobusha County, MS 38 mi 2% 55%

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