Maries County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 70% of Maries County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 6.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 17 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Maries County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 29.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 70.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.8% |
| Mapped soil | 338,910 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gatewood | 19% | n/a |
| Rueter | 13% | n/a |
| Union | 12% | n/a |
| Gravois | 9% | n/a |
| Swiss | 6% | n/a |
| Useful | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO125 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.9% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Maries County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 70% of Maries 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: 43.87 in, 0.35 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 43.52 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
17 flood losses since 2016, $877,082 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 15.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.52 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.87 in (+0.35) |
| 2025 | 36.40 in (-7.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 62.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 23.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at VICHY ROLLA NATIONAL AP (9 mi away) | 11.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,261 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,100 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osage County, MO | 21 mi | 29% | 70% |
| Phelps County, MO | 22 mi | 15% | 53% |
| Miller County, MO | 28 mi | 23% | 44% |
| Pulaski County, MO | 28 mi | 9% | 41% |
| Gasconade County, MO | 30 mi | 37% | 76% |
| Cole County, MO | 30 mi | 14% | 69% |
| Crawford County, MO | 36 mi | 15% | 34% |
| Dent County, MO | 45 mi | 1% | 44% |
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