Adair County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 95% of Adair County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 6th highest of 115 Missouri counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 68%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 63% 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 Adair County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 68.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 94.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 62.5% |
| Mapped soil | 364,448 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO001 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.7% by land area here, and 63% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 68% of the mapped land.
On 95% of Adair 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: 36.26 in, 4.41 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.67 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 2 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
9 flood losses since 2016, $420,327 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.26 in (-4.41) |
| 2025 | 34.61 in (-6.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 63.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 18.48 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KIRKSVILLE (2 mi away) | 11.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,389 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,700 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schuyler County, MO | 20 mi | 72% | 84% |
| Knox County, MO | 24 mi | 81% | 85% |
| Macon County, MO | 25 mi | 80% | 95% |
| Sullivan County, MO | 27 mi | 82% | 61% |
| Putnam County, MO | 29 mi | 76% | 74% |
| Scotland County, MO | 30 mi | 70% | 76% |
| Linn County, MO | 35 mi | 83% | 99% |
| Shelby County, MO | 38 mi | 87% | 91% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status