New Madrid County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of New Madrid County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35%.
1% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 62% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 New Madrid County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.8% |
| Mapped soil | 432,646 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 26% | 99% |
| Gideon | 18% | n/a |
| Dundee | 8% | n/a |
| Wardell | 6% | n/a |
| Bosket | 6% | n/a |
| Lilbourn | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO143 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.5% 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 35% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 1% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 35% of New Madrid County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 84% of New Madrid 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: 35.07 in, 14.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.80 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
1% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 19 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 95.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
20 flood losses since 2016, $395,664 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 12.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.80 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.07 in (-14.73) |
| 2025 | 51.59 in (+1.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 78.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 30.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SIKESTON PWR STN (20 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,876 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 64% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $111,800 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, TN | 20 mi | 29% | 78% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 24 mi | 21% | 87% |
| Mississippi County, MO | 26 mi | 33% | 85% |
| Fulton County, KY | 26 mi | 15% | 65% |
| Pemiscot County, MO | 28 mi | 41% | 89% |
| Scott County, MO | 32 mi | 16% | 58% |
| Obion County, TN | 33 mi | 1% | 66% |
| Dunklin County, MO | 38 mi | 29% | 73% |
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