Pike County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 69% of Pike County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 45%.
99.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 142 flood losses here since 2016, 15% of them in buildings with basements. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Pike County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 44.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 68.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.8% |
| Mapped soil | 437,913 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO163 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.3% by land area here, and 48% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 45% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 99.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 45% of Pike County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 69% of Pike 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: 32.18 in, 7.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.97 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
99.4% 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 9 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 99.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
142 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 94. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 15% basements, 26% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 55% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 36 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 94 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.97 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.18 in (-7.79) |
| 2025 | 30.92 in (-9.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 56.83 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 24.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BOWLING GREEN 1 E (0 mi away) | 11.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,620 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $146,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County, MO | 22 mi | 64% | 55% |
| Ralls County, MO | 24 mi | 56% | 75% |
| Pike County, IL | 25 mi | 9% | 56% |
| Calhoun County, IL | 30 mi | 4% | 25% |
| Montgomery County, MO | 32 mi | 67% | 76% |
| Audrain County, MO | 37 mi | 90% | 98% |
| Warren County, MO | 40 mi | 52% | 59% |
| Marion County, MO | 41 mi | 53% | 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