Perry County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Perry County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 53.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Perry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.1% |
| Mapped soil | 309,754 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO157 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 19% of Perry County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 32% of Perry 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: 38.75 in, 7.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.02 in.
USDA rates 93% 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $157,847 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.75 in (-7.27) |
| 2025 | 41.51 in (-4.51) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1945: 66.38 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 26.80 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PERRYVILLE WTP (7 mi away) | 13.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,552 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $188,200 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 23 mi | 16% | 34% |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 23 mi | 3% | 24% |
| Jackson County, IL | 24 mi | 26% | 62% |
| Randolph County, IL | 24 mi | 24% | 64% |
| Bollinger County, MO | 30 mi | 4% | 56% |
| Madison County, MO | 34 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Union County, IL | 34 mi | 10% | 49% |
| Perry County, IL | 35 mi | 24% | 75% |
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