McDonald County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 29% of McDonald County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 172 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 McDonald County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 29.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.8% |
| Mapped soil | 345,837 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rueter | 18% | n/a |
| Jollymill | 14% | n/a |
| Goss | 8% | 0% |
| Noark | 7% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 7% | 0% |
| Hailey | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO119 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 29% of McDonald 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: 41.68 in, 4.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.67 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 27 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 11.8% |
Flood losses since 2016
172 flood losses since 2016, $5.5 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 63. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 59% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 36% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 45 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 55 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 63 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.68 in (-4.99) |
| 2025 | 45.48 in (-1.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 70.66 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 22.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRAVETTE (15 mi away) | 14.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,828 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $154,700 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County, MO | 20 mi | 6% | 65% |
| Benton County, AR | 20 mi | 3% | 47% |
| Ottawa County, OK | 29 mi | 31% | 51% |
| Barry County, MO | 29 mi | 9% | 44% |
| Delaware County, OK | 30 mi | 5% | 23% |
| Jasper County, MO | 40 mi | 35% | 48% |
| Lawrence County, MO | 44 mi | 8% | 68% |
| Washington County, AR | 45 mi | 20% | 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