Iron County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Iron County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 62% 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 Iron County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 41.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.5% |
| Mapped soil | 353,420 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville | 13% | 0% |
| Wilderness | 10% | n/a |
| Goss | 9% | 0% |
| Irondale | 8% | n/a |
| Scholten | 7% | n/a |
| Midco | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO093 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Iron 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: 39.16 in, 8.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.51 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 37 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 13 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 | 54.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
9 flood losses since 2016, $128,639 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.51 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.16 in (-8.35) |
| 2025 | 41.61 in (-5.90) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 68.10 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 22.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FARMINGTON (20 mi away) | 12.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,682 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $119,300 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francois County, MO | 18 mi | 15% | 40% |
| Madison County, MO | 22 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Reynolds County, MO | 23 mi | 7% | 22% |
| Washington County, MO | 24 mi | 27% | 25% |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 34 mi | 16% | 34% |
| Wayne County, MO | 38 mi | 5% | 32% |
| Crawford County, MO | 41 mi | 15% | 34% |
| Bollinger County, MO | 43 mi | 4% | 56% |
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