Howard County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 59% of Howard County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Howard County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 59.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 34.3% |
| Mapped soil | 301,510 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lindley | 10% | n/a |
| Winfield | 10% | n/a |
| Menfro | 8% | 0% |
| Nodaway | 6% | n/a |
| Keswick | 5% | n/a |
| Mandeville | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO089 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
On 59% of Howard 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: 41.46 in, 0.16 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.30 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 9 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 65.4% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 13.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $315,464 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.30 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.46 in (+0.16) |
| 2025 | 32.78 in (-8.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 58.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 22.75 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEW FRANKLIN 1W (9 mi away) | 11.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,374 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper County, MO | 21 mi | 37% | 66% |
| Randolph County, MO | 23 mi | 83% | 85% |
| Boone County, MO | 23 mi | 71% | 78% |
| Saline County, MO | 27 mi | 44% | 69% |
| Chariton County, MO | 30 mi | 66% | 88% |
| Moniteau County, MO | 36 mi | 23% | 80% |
| Pettis County, MO | 43 mi | 68% | 76% |
| Monroe County, MO | 44 mi | 84% | 85% |
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