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Carter County, Missouri

A shallow water table limits basements on 18% of Carter County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.

92.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

18%

high water table: limits basements

92%

in drought, October 13, 2026

46%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Carter County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.8%
High water table (limits basements)17.5%
Septic fields very limited74.8%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.6%
Mapped soil325,746 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Clarksville32%0%
Alred9%n/a
Captina7%n/a
Poynor7%n/a
Coulstone6%n/a
Rueter5%n/a
Ripley County: 33%Shannon County: 29%Reynolds County: 22%Wayne County: 32%Oregon County: 33%Butler County: 70%Randolph County: 40%Iron County: 42%Carter County RipleyShannonReynoldsWayneOregonButlerRandolphIronCarter
Carter County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas MO035 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 18% of Carter 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: 32.49 in, 16.59 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.08 in.

USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

92.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the June 9, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse92.4%
D2 severe or worse63.2%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

33 flood losses since 2016, $4.1 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 32. Median water depth outside the building: 102 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
201732
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.08 in
12 months to August 202632.49 in (-16.59)
202536.94 in (-12.14)
Wettest year since 18951927: 72.51 in
Driest year since 18951953: 22.93 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLEARWATER DAM (16 mi away)13.8

Homes

Housing units2,676
Median year built1983
Built before 198046%
Built 2000 or later26%
Owner-occupied61%
Median value, owner-occupied$159,400
Single-family detached70%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Ripley County, MO 21 mi 16% 33%
Shannon County, MO 28 mi 10% 29%
Reynolds County, MO 29 mi 7% 22%
Wayne County, MO 29 mi 5% 32%
Oregon County, MO 31 mi 11% 33%
Butler County, MO 34 mi 8% 70%
Randolph County, AR 42 mi 40% 40%
Iron County, MO 49 mi 8% 42%

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