Dent County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 44% of Dent County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.
100% 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. 53% 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 Dent County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 43.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.6% |
| Mapped soil | 483,245 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville | 27% | 0% |
| Nixa | 14% | n/a |
| Lebanon | 13% | n/a |
| Coulstone | 11% | n/a |
| Hobson | 7% | n/a |
| Midco | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO065 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 44% of Dent 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: 37.83 in, 8.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.01 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 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 | 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 | 46.01 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.83 in (-8.18) |
| 2025 | 40.99 in (-5.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 62.36 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 20.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SALEM (3 mi away) | 13.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,822 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $167,500 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County, MO | 24 mi | 15% | 53% |
| Crawford County, MO | 27 mi | 15% | 34% |
| Shannon County, MO | 32 mi | 10% | 29% |
| Reynolds County, MO | 33 mi | 7% | 22% |
| Texas County, MO | 33 mi | 15% | 55% |
| Washington County, MO | 40 mi | 27% | 25% |
| Pulaski County, MO | 42 mi | 9% | 41% |
| Iron County, MO | 43 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