Platte County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 57% of Platte County's mapped land, a higher share than 72% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 30%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 44 flood losses here since 2016. 33% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Platte County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 56.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.0% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 273,479 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Knox | 22% | n/a |
| Higginsville | 13% | n/a |
| Sharpsburg | 9% | 93% |
| Sibley | 7% | n/a |
| Haynie | 6% | n/a |
| Snead | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO165 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 30% of the mapped land.
On 57% of Platte 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: 38.25 in, 0.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.55 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 12 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
44 flood losses since 2016, $952,754 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 31.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 31 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.25 in (-0.30) |
| 2025 | 31.80 in (-6.75) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 55.42 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 20.45 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KANSAS CITY INTL AP (6 mi away) | 10.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 46,606 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 36% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $345,100 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandotte County, KS | 18 mi | 61% | 28% |
| Clay County, MO | 19 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Buchanan County, MO | 20 mi | 28% | 40% |
| Leavenworth County, KS | 20 mi | 63% | 52% |
| Clinton County, MO | 25 mi | 78% | 77% |
| Atchison County, KS | 31 mi | 73% | 62% |
| Jackson County, MO | 34 mi | 36% | 50% |
| Jefferson County, KS | 34 mi | 59% | 54% |
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