Bollinger County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 56% of Bollinger County's mapped land, a higher share than 71% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4%.
62.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Bollinger County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 4.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 55.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.6% |
| Mapped soil | 397,235 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Wrengart | 17% | n/a |
| Alred | 14% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 8% | 0% |
| Hildebrecht | 7% | n/a |
| Captina | 6% | n/a |
| Scholten | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO017 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 56% of Bollinger 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: 38.93 in, 10.05 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.98 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
62.7% 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 12 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 62.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $231,476 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.93 in (-10.05) |
| 2025 | 45.85 in (-3.13) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 72.16 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 26.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MARBLE HILL (4 mi away) | 14.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,046 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $179,800 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 19 mi | 3% | 24% |
| Madison County, MO | 20 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Wayne County, MO | 28 mi | 5% | 32% |
| Perry County, MO | 30 mi | 19% | 32% |
| Scott County, MO | 32 mi | 16% | 58% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 33 mi | 21% | 87% |
| Alexander County, IL | 38 mi | 19% | 48% |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 40 mi | 16% | 34% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status