Buchanan County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of Buchanan County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 153 flood losses here since 2016, 18% of them in buildings with basements. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Buchanan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 58.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 21.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.1% |
| Mapped soil | 265,255 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Knox | 21% | n/a |
| Marshall | 16% | 0% |
| Colo | 12% | n/a |
| Contrary | 6% | n/a |
| Lamoni | 5% | n/a |
| Haynie | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO021 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
On 40% of Buchanan 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: 34.69 in, 2.85 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.54 in.
USDA rates 59% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 95.5% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the November 18, 2025 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
153 flood losses since 2016, $7.7 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 122. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 18% basements, 13% slabs, 28% crawl spaces, 41% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 33 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 122 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.54 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.69 in (-2.85) |
| 2025 | 32.62 in (-4.92) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 59.48 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 18.61 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ATCHISON (17 mi away) | 9.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 38,472 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,300 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County, MO | 20 mi | 30% | 57% |
| Doniphan County, KS | 20 mi | 27% | 15% |
| Clinton County, MO | 22 mi | 78% | 77% |
| Andrew County, MO | 23 mi | 48% | 58% |
| DeKalb County, MO | 27 mi | 78% | 83% |
| Atchison County, KS | 28 mi | 73% | 62% |
| Clay County, MO | 32 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Leavenworth County, KS | 35 mi | 63% | 52% |
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