Greene County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 49% of Greene County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 37 flood losses here since 2016, 32% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Greene County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.0% |
| Mapped soil | 433,836 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Goss | 17% | 0% |
| Wilderness | 13% | n/a |
| Keeno | 6% | n/a |
| Wanda | 6% | n/a |
| Viraton | 6% | n/a |
| Creldon | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO077 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 49% of Greene 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: 38.87 in, 6.12 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.99 in.
USDA rates 88% 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 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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 | 99.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
37 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 8. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 32% basements, 36% slabs, 16% crawl spaces, 16% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 7 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.87 in (-6.12) |
| 2025 | 38.86 in (-6.13) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 63.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 25.35 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SPRINGFIELD (4 mi away) | 12.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 138,982 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $221,300 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian County, MO | 22 mi | 10% | 42% |
| Polk County, MO | 25 mi | 24% | 59% |
| Webster County, MO | 26 mi | 20% | 68% |
| Lawrence County, MO | 29 mi | 8% | 68% |
| Dade County, MO | 31 mi | 17% | 45% |
| Dallas County, MO | 34 mi | 22% | 66% |
| Stone County, MO | 36 mi | 8% | 17% |
| Cedar County, MO | 43 mi | 11% | 49% |
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