Henry County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 60% of Henry County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34%.
35.5% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no 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 Henry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 34.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 60.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.3% |
| Mapped soil | 468,666 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Deepwater | 20% | n/a |
| Hartwell | 19% | n/a |
| Barco | 9% | n/a |
| Verdigris | 7% | n/a |
| Bolivar | 4% | n/a |
| Summit | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO083 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.3% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 35.5% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Henry County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 60% of Henry 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: 41.25 in, 1.19 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.44 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
35.5% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 24 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 weeks, most recently on the February 10, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 35.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Henry County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.25 in (-1.19) |
| 2025 | 35.14 in (-7.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 59.34 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 24.92 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLINTON (1 mi away) | 12.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,714 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $160,600 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County, MO | 24 mi | 23% | 33% |
| Johnson County, MO | 25 mi | 41% | 79% |
| Benton County, MO | 28 mi | 41% | 28% |
| Bates County, MO | 31 mi | 70% | 75% |
| Cass County, MO | 35 mi | 68% | 80% |
| Pettis County, MO | 36 mi | 68% | 76% |
| Hickory County, MO | 40 mi | 51% | 26% |
| Cedar County, MO | 45 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