Jackson County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Jackson County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 36%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 208 flood losses here since 2016, 44% of them in buildings with basements. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Jackson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 39.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 14.4% |
| Mapped soil | 394,420 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sibley | 10% | n/a |
| Snead | 9% | n/a |
| Knox | 7% | n/a |
| Sharpsburg | 7% | 93% |
| Higginsville | 5% | n/a |
| Arisburg | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO095 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 40% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 36% of the mapped land.
On 50% of Jackson 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: 40.49 in, 0.47 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.96 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 14 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 15.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
208 flood losses since 2016, $9.3 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 106. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 44% basements, 43% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 10% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 16 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 106 |
| 2018 | 24 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 16 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.49 in (-0.47) |
| 2025 | 33.75 in (-7.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 61.03 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 23.40 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at INDEPENDENCE (5 mi away) | 12 |
Homes
| Housing units | 336,288 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $230,500 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County, MO | 22 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Wyandotte County, KS | 24 mi | 61% | 28% |
| Cass County, MO | 25 mi | 68% | 80% |
| Johnson County, KS | 27 mi | 73% | 65% |
| Ray County, MO | 28 mi | 71% | 84% |
| Lafayette County, MO | 29 mi | 25% | 64% |
| Johnson County, MO | 34 mi | 41% | 79% |
| Platte County, MO | 34 mi | 30% | 57% |
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