Dunklin County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 73% of Dunklin County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%.
69.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Dunklin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 72.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.9% |
| Mapped soil | 349,958 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 16% | 99% |
| Dubbs | 10% | n/a |
| Dundee | 8% | n/a |
| Gideon | 7% | n/a |
| Malden | 6% | n/a |
| Canalou | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO069 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.7% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 69.6% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Dunklin County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 73% of Dunklin 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: 34.19 in, 15.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 50.17 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
69.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 weeks, most recently on the July 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 69.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 30.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $168,467 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 50.17 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.19 in (-15.98) |
| 2025 | 50.75 in (+0.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 78.97 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 27.72 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SAINT FRANCIS (21 mi away) | 15.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,447 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 62% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $97,600 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pemiscot County, MO | 16 mi | 41% | 89% |
| Clay County, AR | 25 mi | 21% | 81% |
| Mississippi County, AR | 27 mi | 52% | 84% |
| Greene County, AR | 28 mi | 21% | 77% |
| Lake County, TN | 34 mi | 29% | 78% |
| Lauderdale County, TN | 36 mi | 15% | 56% |
| Dyer County, TN | 37 mi | 16% | 79% |
| New Madrid County, MO | 38 mi | 35% | 84% |
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