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Wilkinson County, Mississippi
A shallow water table limits basements on 45% of Wilkinson County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 100 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Wilkinson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 44.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.7% |
| Mapped soil | 439,800 acres |
How we count · survey areas MS157 (2025-09-08)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.4% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Wilkinson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 45% of Wilkinson 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: 54.26 in, 7.17 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.43 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 14 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
100 flood losses since 2016, $2.7 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 27. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 6% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 87% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 149 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 27 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 20 |
| 2019 | 20 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 61.43 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 54.26 in (-7.17) |
| 2025 | 56.00 in (-5.43) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 80.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 34.78 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ST FRANCISVILLE (27 mi away) | 20 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,608 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $90,000 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Feliciana Parish, LA | 21 mi | 14% | 45% |
| Adams County, MS | 22 mi | 9% | 27% |
| East Feliciana Parish, LA | 28 mi | under 1% | 67% |
| Concordia Parish, LA | 28 mi | 65% | 83% |
| Amite County, MS | 31 mi | 2% | 67% |
| Franklin County, MS | 33 mi | 10% | 45% |
| Pointe Coupee Parish, LA | 35 mi | 20% | 73% |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 39 mi | 55% | 68% |
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