Cass County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 80% of Cass County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 68%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 81 flood losses here since 2016, 22% of them in buildings with basements. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Cass County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 68.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 80.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 72.9% |
| Mapped soil | 449,497 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kenoma | 16% | over 99% |
| Deepwater | 7% | n/a |
| Snead | 7% | n/a |
| Sampsel | 7% | n/a |
| Greenton | 7% | n/a |
| Arisburg | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO037 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.5% by land area here, and 73% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 68% of the mapped land.
On 80% of Cass 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: 41.85 in, 0.01 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.86 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 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 90.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
81 flood losses since 2016, $2.8 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 54. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 22% basements, 28% slabs, 50% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 14.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 54 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.85 in (-0.01) |
| 2025 | 37.40 in (-4.46) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 60.72 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 24.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLEASANT HILL WFO (12 mi away) | 12.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 45,834 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 34% |
| Built 2000 or later | 35% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $292,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, MO | 25 mi | 36% | 50% |
| Miami County, KS | 26 mi | 83% | 67% |
| Bates County, MO | 27 mi | 70% | 75% |
| Johnson County, MO | 30 mi | 41% | 79% |
| Johnson County, KS | 30 mi | 73% | 65% |
| Henry County, MO | 35 mi | 34% | 60% |
| Wyandotte County, KS | 39 mi | 61% | 28% |
| Linn County, KS | 40 mi | 78% | 61% |
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