Pettis County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 76% of Pettis County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 68%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Pettis County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 67.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 76.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 77.6% |
| Mapped soil | 439,360 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Arisburg | 21% | n/a |
| Hartwell | 14% | n/a |
| Greenton | 7% | n/a |
| Eldon | 6% | n/a |
| Pershing | 6% | n/a |
| Bluelick | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO159 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.8% by land area here, and 78% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 68% of the mapped land.
On 76% of Pettis 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: 45.34 in, 3.93 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.41 in.
USDA rates 97% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 6 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 81.4% of its area, in 4 weeks, most recently on the November 18, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 66.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $220,229 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.34 in (+3.93) |
| 2025 | 37.82 in (-3.59) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 55.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 22.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEDALIA WTP (5 mi away) | 12.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,673 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,300 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper County, MO | 27 mi | 37% | 66% |
| Johnson County, MO | 28 mi | 41% | 79% |
| Saline County, MO | 29 mi | 44% | 69% |
| Benton County, MO | 29 mi | 41% | 28% |
| Morgan County, MO | 31 mi | 28% | 46% |
| Henry County, MO | 36 mi | 34% | 60% |
| Lafayette County, MO | 36 mi | 25% | 64% |
| Moniteau County, MO | 39 mi | 23% | 80% |
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