Miller County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 44% of Miller County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 23%.
80.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 18.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 41% 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 Miller County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 23.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 44.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 96.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.0% |
| Mapped soil | 384,403 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Rueter | 20% | n/a |
| Gravois | 16% | n/a |
| Niangua | 9% | n/a |
| Bardley | 6% | n/a |
| Ocie | 5% | n/a |
| Gatewood | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO131 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 23% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 80.2% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 23% of Miller County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 44% of Miller 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, 0.87 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.55 in.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
80.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 22 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, on the February 10, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 80.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $111,660 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.68 in (-0.87) |
| 2025 | 35.33 in (-7.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 60.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 23.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at IBERIA (10 mi away) | 12.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,541 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $192,600 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole County, MO | 21 mi | 14% | 69% |
| Camden County, MO | 22 mi | 34% | 22% |
| Maries County, MO | 28 mi | 29% | 70% |
| Morgan County, MO | 28 mi | 28% | 46% |
| Pulaski County, MO | 30 mi | 9% | 41% |
| Moniteau County, MO | 30 mi | 23% | 80% |
| Osage County, MO | 35 mi | 29% | 70% |
| Laclede County, MO | 40 mi | 14% | 55% |
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