Morgan County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 46% of Morgan County's mapped land, a higher share than 63% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28%.
11.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 1.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Morgan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 46.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 34.4% |
| Mapped soil | 392,967 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Goss | 22% | 0% |
| Gravois | 17% | n/a |
| Niangua | 10% | n/a |
| Maplewood | 8% | n/a |
| Bardley | 7% | n/a |
| Friendly | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO141 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 11.7% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 28% of Morgan County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 46% of Morgan 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: 44.66 in, 1.82 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 42.84 in.
USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
11.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 12 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 | 71.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 11.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $10,203 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.84 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 44.66 in (+1.82) |
| 2025 | 36.54 in (-6.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 59.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 22.85 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELDON (17 mi away) | 13.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,176 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $194,400 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moniteau County, MO | 21 mi | 23% | 80% |
| Benton County, MO | 24 mi | 41% | 28% |
| Camden County, MO | 28 mi | 34% | 22% |
| Miller County, MO | 28 mi | 23% | 44% |
| Cooper County, MO | 30 mi | 37% | 66% |
| Pettis County, MO | 31 mi | 68% | 76% |
| Cole County, MO | 33 mi | 14% | 69% |
| Hickory County, MO | 41 mi | 51% | 26% |
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