Christian County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Christian County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 18% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1999.
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 Christian County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.2% |
| Mapped soil | 361,005 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville | 16% | 0% |
| Goss | 15% | 0% |
| Ocie | 10% | n/a |
| Tonti | 8% | n/a |
| Gatewood | 7% | n/a |
| Poynor | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO043 (2025-09-03)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Christian 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: 35.19 in, 10.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.10 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 4.7% |
Flood losses since 2016
20 flood losses since 2016, $1.4 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.19 in (-10.91) |
| 2025 | 38.82 in (-7.28) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 67.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 25.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OZARK (4 mi away) | 14.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 36,643 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 18% |
| Built 2000 or later | 48% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $274,900 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone County, MO | 21 mi | 8% | 17% |
| Greene County, MO | 22 mi | 9% | 49% |
| Taney County, MO | 23 mi | 23% | 43% |
| Webster County, MO | 28 mi | 20% | 68% |
| Lawrence County, MO | 37 mi | 8% | 68% |
| Douglas County, MO | 37 mi | 18% | 48% |
| Barry County, MO | 40 mi | 9% | 44% |
| Wright County, MO | 44 mi | 5% | 47% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 3, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status