Caldwell County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 96% of Caldwell County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 4th highest of 115 Missouri counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 79%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Caldwell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 78.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 95.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 76.0% |
| Mapped soil | 275,514 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lagonda | 24% | n/a |
| Armster | 11% | n/a |
| Zook | 8% | n/a |
| Grundy | 8% | n/a |
| Lamoni | 8% | n/a |
| Adair | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO025 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% by land area here, and 76% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 79% of the mapped land.
On 96% of Caldwell 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: 34.53 in, 5.16 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.69 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 5 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 25% of its area, in 5 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Caldwell County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.69 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.53 in (-5.16) |
| 2025 | 31.90 in (-7.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 57.03 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 21.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HAMILTON 2W (6 mi away) | 10.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,275 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,500 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daviess County, MO | 21 mi | 79% | 87% |
| Clinton County, MO | 22 mi | 78% | 77% |
| Ray County, MO | 24 mi | 71% | 84% |
| Livingston County, MO | 24 mi | 76% | 98% |
| DeKalb County, MO | 28 mi | 78% | 83% |
| Carroll County, MO | 30 mi | 72% | 88% |
| Clay County, MO | 33 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Grundy County, MO | 38 mi | 75% | 78% |
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