Chariton County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 88% of Chariton County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties and the 9th highest of 115 Missouri counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 66%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Chariton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 66.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 88.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.8% |
| Mapped soil | 490,970 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Armstrong | 20% | over 99% |
| Carlow | 9% | n/a |
| Lagonda | 7% | n/a |
| Dockery | 7% | n/a |
| Grundy | 5% | n/a |
| Tina | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO041 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.9% by land area here, and 66% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 66% of the mapped land.
On 88% of Chariton 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: 34.23 in, 6.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.37 in.
USDA rates 98% 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 4 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 3.2% of its area, in 4 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
15 flood losses since 2016, $273,400 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 15.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 15 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.37 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.23 in (-6.14) |
| 2025 | 32.58 in (-7.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 57.57 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 21.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SALISBURY (10 mi away) | 11.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,788 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,900 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County, MO | 25 mi | 83% | 99% |
| Randolph County, MO | 26 mi | 83% | 85% |
| Carroll County, MO | 29 mi | 72% | 88% |
| Saline County, MO | 29 mi | 44% | 69% |
| Howard County, MO | 30 mi | 35% | 59% |
| Macon County, MO | 30 mi | 80% | 95% |
| Livingston County, MO | 36 mi | 76% | 98% |
| Cooper County, MO | 47 mi | 37% | 66% |
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