Lafayette County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 64% of Lafayette County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25%.
None 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. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Lafayette County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 64.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.3% |
| Mapped soil | 408,954 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 20% | 0% |
| Higginsville | 17% | n/a |
| Winfield | 9% | n/a |
| Knox | 8% | n/a |
| Macksburg | 7% | n/a |
| Sampsel | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO107 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
On 64% of Lafayette 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: 40.40 in, 0.46 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.86 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 5 weeks, most recently on the November 18, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 19.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| 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 Lafayette County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.86 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.40 in (-0.46) |
| 2025 | 34.37 in (-6.49) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1961: 59.51 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 22.84 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HIGGINSVILLE (5 mi away) | 11.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,221 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $216,500 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray County, MO | 20 mi | 71% | 84% |
| Johnson County, MO | 23 mi | 41% | 79% |
| Jackson County, MO | 29 mi | 36% | 50% |
| Carroll County, MO | 30 mi | 72% | 88% |
| Saline County, MO | 32 mi | 44% | 69% |
| Pettis County, MO | 36 mi | 68% | 76% |
| Clay County, MO | 37 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Cass County, MO | 42 mi | 68% | 80% |
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