Barry County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 44% of Barry County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Barry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 44.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 12.1% |
| Mapped soil | 505,901 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Scholten | 18% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 11% | 0% |
| Hailey | 8% | n/a |
| Moko | 6% | n/a |
| Tonti | 6% | n/a |
| Mano | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO009 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 44% of Barry 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: 41.80 in, 4.89 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.69 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 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 | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 29.2% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $134,087 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.80 in (-4.89) |
| 2025 | 42.95 in (-3.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 68.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 27.31 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONETT 4SW (13 mi away) | 13.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,063 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $187,800 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone County, MO | 21 mi | 8% | 17% |
| Lawrence County, MO | 28 mi | 8% | 68% |
| McDonald County, MO | 29 mi | 2% | 29% |
| Carroll County, AR | 30 mi | 22% | 16% |
| Newton County, MO | 31 mi | 6% | 65% |
| Benton County, AR | 34 mi | 3% | 47% |
| Christian County, MO | 40 mi | 10% | 42% |
| Taney County, MO | 44 mi | 23% | 43% |
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