Ozark County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 43% of Ozark County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 36%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Ozark County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 35.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.3% |
| Mapped soil | 483,315 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Gatewood | 19% | n/a |
| Alred | 14% | n/a |
| Ocie | 12% | n/a |
| Moko | 9% | n/a |
| Poynor | 7% | n/a |
| Mano | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO153 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 36% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 36% of Ozark County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 43% of Ozark 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: 35.70 in, 11.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.94 in.
USDA rates 81% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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 | 47.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $274,588 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 35.70 in (-11.24) |
| 2025 | 53.00 in (+6.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 70.14 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1980: 25.48 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TECUMSEH 1NE (11 mi away) | 13 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,030 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $168,600 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, MO | 21 mi | 18% | 48% |
| Baxter County, AR | 26 mi | 40% | 13% |
| Marion County, AR | 29 mi | 24% | 13% |
| Taney County, MO | 32 mi | 23% | 43% |
| Howell County, MO | 33 mi | 7% | 36% |
| Fulton County, AR | 40 mi | 66% | 3% |
| Boone County, AR | 42 mi | 19% | 23% |
| Wright County, MO | 43 mi | 5% | 47% |
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