HomeMissouriHowell County

Howell County, Missouri

A shallow water table limits basements on 36% of Howell County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 50 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

36%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

48%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Howell County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.2%
High water table (limits basements)36.4%
Septic fields very limited64.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)12.3%
Mapped soil593,754 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Scholten13%n/a
Poynor12%n/a
Alred8%n/a
Tick7%n/a
Fanchon6%n/a
Tonti5%n/a
Fulton County: 3%Oregon County: 33%Ozark County: 43%Douglas County: 48%Texas County: 55%Shannon County: 29%Baxter County: 13%Sharp County: 4%Howell County FultonOregonOzarkDouglasTexasShannonBaxterSharpHowell
Howell County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas MO091 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 36% of Howell 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: 37.21 in, 10.34 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.55 in.

USDA rates 64% 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse9.2%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

50 flood losses since 2016, $2.9 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 47. Median water depth outside the building: 24 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
201747
20180
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.55 in
12 months to August 202637.21 in (-10.34)
202550.06 in (+2.51)
Wettest year since 18951927: 73.21 in
Driest year since 18951953: 25.21 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at W PLAINS (3 mi away)13.6

Homes

Housing units18,149
Median year built1982
Built before 198048%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied70%
Median value, owner-occupied$173,000
Single-family detached75%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Fulton County, AR 27 mi 66% 3%
Oregon County, MO 28 mi 11% 33%
Ozark County, MO 33 mi 36% 43%
Douglas County, MO 37 mi 18% 48%
Texas County, MO 38 mi 15% 55%
Shannon County, MO 38 mi 10% 29%
Baxter County, AR 42 mi 40% 13%
Sharp County, AR 46 mi 48% 4%

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