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Lawrence County, Missouri

A shallow water table limits basements on 68% of Lawrence County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% 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 20 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

8%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

68%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

51%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lawrence County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.6%
High water table (limits basements)67.6%
Septic fields very limited95.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)13.4%
Mapped soil392,557 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Wilderness13%n/a
Viraton12%n/a
Hoberg9%n/a
Creldon7%n/a
Keeno7%n/a
Nixa6%n/a
Dade County: 45%Barry County: 44%Jasper County: 48%Greene County: 49%Newton County: 65%Stone County: 17%Christian County: 42%Barton County: 69%Lawrence County DadeBarryJasperGreeneNewtonStoneChristianBartonLawrence
Lawrence 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 MO109 (2025-09-02)

What the numbers mean here

On 68% of Lawrence 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: 42.14 in, 3.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.01 in.

USDA rates 96% 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 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 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 worse100%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

20 flood losses since 2016, $423,081 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 18.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
202118
20222
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202046.01 in
12 months to August 202642.14 in (-3.87)
202539.60 in (-6.41)
Wettest year since 18952015: 65.53 in
Driest year since 18951953: 25.81 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ASH GROVE 4S (17 mi away)12.3

Homes

Housing units16,303
Median year built1979
Built before 198051%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied74%
Median value, owner-occupied$175,100
Single-family detached79%

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
Dade County, MO 23 mi 17% 45%
Barry County, MO 28 mi 9% 44%
Jasper County, MO 29 mi 35% 48%
Greene County, MO 29 mi 9% 49%
Newton County, MO 31 mi 6% 65%
Stone County, MO 32 mi 8% 17%
Christian County, MO 37 mi 10% 42%
Barton County, MO 39 mi 54% 69%

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