Newton County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 65% of Newton County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 102 flood losses here since 2016, 14% of them in buildings with basements. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Newton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 65.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 95.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.8% |
| Mapped soil | 401,069 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Nixa | 21% | n/a |
| Clarksville | 11% | 0% |
| Tonti | 10% | n/a |
| Hoberg | 6% | n/a |
| Creldon | 5% | n/a |
| Keeno | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO145 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 65% of Newton 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: 38.22 in, 8.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.40 in.
USDA rates 96% 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 19 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 | 97.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
102 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 62. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 14% basements, 36% slabs, 42% crawl spaces, 8% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 15 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 62 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 31 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 5 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.22 in (-8.18) |
| 2025 | 38.23 in (-8.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 66.10 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 21.49 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEOSHO (3 mi away) | 14.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 24,866 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $190,700 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald County, MO | 20 mi | 2% | 29% |
| Jasper County, MO | 21 mi | 35% | 48% |
| Ottawa County, OK | 26 mi | 31% | 51% |
| Lawrence County, MO | 31 mi | 8% | 68% |
| Barry County, MO | 31 mi | 9% | 44% |
| Cherokee County, KS | 33 mi | 52% | 80% |
| Benton County, AR | 40 mi | 3% | 47% |
| Barton County, MO | 41 mi | 54% | 69% |
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