Muscatine County, Iowa
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Muscatine County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 40 flood losses here since 2016, 48% of them in buildings with basements. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Muscatine County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.8% |
| Mapped soil | 287,500 acres |
How we count · survey areas IA139 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 4% 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.
On 50% of Muscatine 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: 34.93 in, 2.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.56 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
40 flood losses since 2016, $567,163 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 18. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 48% basements, 10% slabs, 43% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 38 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.93 in (-2.63) |
| 2025 | 35.93 in (-1.63) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 55.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 19.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MUSCATINE (6 mi away) | 10.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,454 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $182,100 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa County, IA | 20 mi | 38% | 70% |
| Cedar County, IA | 20 mi | 39% | 43% |
| Mercer County, IL | 27 mi | 15% | 44% |
| Johnson County, IA | 28 mi | 40% | 56% |
| Scott County, IA | 28 mi | 36% | 41% |
| Rock Island County, IL | 28 mi | 6% | 32% |
| Washington County, IA | 33 mi | 65% | 88% |
| Des Moines County, IA | 39 mi | 57% | 80% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status