Madison County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Madison County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Madison County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.4% |
| Mapped soil | 318,617 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville | 15% | 0% |
| Scholten | 9% | n/a |
| Irondale | 8% | n/a |
| Tilk | 6% | n/a |
| Poynor | 4% | n/a |
| Delassus | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO123 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 38% of Madison 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: 38.18 in, 9.50 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.68 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 36 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 | 9.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $370,994 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.68 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.18 in (-9.50) |
| 2025 | 40.72 in (-6.96) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 69.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 24.67 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FREDERICKTOWN (7 mi away) | 12.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,866 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,000 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bollinger County, MO | 20 mi | 4% | 56% |
| Iron County, MO | 22 mi | 8% | 42% |
| St. Francois County, MO | 24 mi | 15% | 40% |
| Wayne County, MO | 26 mi | 5% | 32% |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 30 mi | 16% | 34% |
| Perry County, MO | 34 mi | 19% | 32% |
| Reynolds County, MO | 35 mi | 7% | 22% |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 37 mi | 3% | 24% |
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