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Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 24% of Cape Girardeau County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3%.
88.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 82.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 29 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 Cape Girardeau County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 24.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.1% |
| Mapped soil | 373,869 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Menfro | 46% | 0% |
| Haymond | 9% | n/a |
| Falaya | 4% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 4% | 0% |
| Adler | 3% | n/a |
| Peridge | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO031 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 24% of Cape Girardeau 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: 40.87 in, 7.26 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.13 in.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
88.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 31 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the April 14, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 88.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
29 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 16.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 16 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.13 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.87 in (-7.26) |
| 2025 | 49.29 in (+1.16) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 73.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 27.15 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JACKSON (1 mi away) | 14 |
Homes
| Housing units | 36,086 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $220,700 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bollinger County, MO | 19 mi | 4% | 56% |
| Alexander County, IL | 23 mi | 19% | 48% |
| Perry County, MO | 23 mi | 19% | 32% |
| Scott County, MO | 24 mi | 16% | 58% |
| Union County, IL | 25 mi | 10% | 49% |
| Jackson County, IL | 32 mi | 26% | 62% |
| Pulaski County, IL | 33 mi | 10% | 72% |
| Madison County, MO | 37 mi | 6% | 38% |
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