Butler County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 70% of Butler County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
49% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 92 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Butler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 69.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.9% |
| Mapped soil | 447,251 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Calhoun | 16% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 12% | 0% |
| Tuckerman | 9% | n/a |
| Amagon | 8% | n/a |
| Captina | 8% | n/a |
| Loring | 6% | 99% |
How we count · survey areas MO023 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 70% of Butler 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: 34.23 in, 15.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.85 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
49% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 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 | 49% |
| D2 severe or worse | 12.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
92 flood losses since 2016, $2.8 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 70. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 40% slabs, 17% crawl spaces, 40% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 70 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.23 in (-15.62) |
| 2025 | 45.32 in (-4.53) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 74.15 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 28.92 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at POPLAR BLUFF (3 mi away) | 16.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,303 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $145,100 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, AR | 24 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Ripley County, MO | 26 mi | 16% | 33% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 27 mi | 21% | 87% |
| Wayne County, MO | 28 mi | 5% | 32% |
| Carter County, MO | 34 mi | 2% | 18% |
| Greene County, AR | 42 mi | 21% | 77% |
| New Madrid County, MO | 42 mi | 35% | 84% |
| Dunklin County, MO | 43 mi | 29% | 73% |
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