Camden County, Missouri
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Camden County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 22%.
98.9% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 96.1% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 28% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Camden County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 34.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 45.4% |
| Mapped soil | 453,216 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Poynor | 18% | n/a |
| Niangua | 17% | n/a |
| Bardley | 11% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 9% | under 1% |
| Union | 6% | n/a |
| Gatewood | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO029 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 45% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 98.9% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Camden County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 22% of Camden 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: 42.59 in, 0.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.92 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
98.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 16 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the February 10, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 98.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 57.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 7.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $97,011 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.92 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.59 in (-0.33) |
| 2025 | 37.37 in (-5.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 62.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 24.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAKESIDE (14 mi away) | 11 |
Homes
| Housing units | 40,072 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $305,400 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miller County, MO | 22 mi | 23% | 44% |
| Laclede County, MO | 27 mi | 14% | 55% |
| Dallas County, MO | 28 mi | 22% | 66% |
| Morgan County, MO | 28 mi | 28% | 46% |
| Hickory County, MO | 31 mi | 51% | 26% |
| Pulaski County, MO | 33 mi | 9% | 41% |
| Benton County, MO | 34 mi | 41% | 28% |
| Cole County, MO | 42 mi | 14% | 69% |
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