Clinton County, Missouri
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 78% of Clinton County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 77%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Clinton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 78.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 71.5% |
| Mapped soil | 270,829 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Grundy | 29% | n/a |
| Armstrong | 11% | 99% |
| Lamoni | 10% | n/a |
| Sharpsburg | 9% | 98% |
| Gara | 7% | 65% |
| Higginsville | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO049 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.3% by land area here, and 72% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 78% of the mapped land.
On 77% of Clinton 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: 38.48 in, 0.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.96 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 99.8% of its area, in 5 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
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.48 in (-0.48) |
| 2025 | 29.55 in (-9.41) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 58.60 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 22.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at AMITY 4 NE (20 mi away) | 11.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,077 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $226,800 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County, MO | 20 mi | 78% | 83% |
| Clay County, MO | 20 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Buchanan County, MO | 22 mi | 28% | 40% |
| Caldwell County, MO | 22 mi | 79% | 96% |
| Platte County, MO | 25 mi | 30% | 57% |
| Ray County, MO | 30 mi | 71% | 84% |
| Daviess County, MO | 33 mi | 79% | 87% |
| Andrew County, MO | 34 mi | 48% | 58% |
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