Livingston County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 98% of Livingston County's mapped land, a higher share than 99% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 115 Missouri counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 76%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Livingston County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 75.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 97.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 77.7% |
| Mapped soil | 345,094 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lagonda | 27% | n/a |
| Greenton | 13% | n/a |
| Carlow | 9% | n/a |
| Dockery | 6% | n/a |
| Locksprings | 5% | n/a |
| Grundy | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO117 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.1% by land area here, and 78% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 76% of the mapped land.
On 98% of Livingston 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: 33.28 in, 6.92 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.20 in.
USDA rates 98% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 4.4% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $99,643 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.20 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.28 in (-6.92) |
| 2025 | 33.64 in (-6.56) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 55.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 22.50 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHILLICOTHE 2S (1 mi away) | 11.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,399 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $147,700 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grundy County, MO | 23 mi | 75% | 78% |
| Linn County, MO | 24 mi | 83% | 99% |
| Caldwell County, MO | 24 mi | 79% | 96% |
| Carroll County, MO | 24 mi | 72% | 88% |
| Daviess County, MO | 26 mi | 79% | 87% |
| Chariton County, MO | 36 mi | 66% | 88% |
| Sullivan County, MO | 38 mi | 82% | 61% |
| Ray County, MO | 40 mi | 71% | 84% |
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