Pulaski County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 41% of Pulaski County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 54 flood losses here since 2016, 20% of them in buildings with basements. 30% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1994.
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 Pulaski County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.6% |
| Mapped soil | 352,883 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville | 21% | 0% |
| Poynor | 14% | n/a |
| Union | 11% | n/a |
| Viraton | 9% | n/a |
| Gepp | 9% | n/a |
| Ocie | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO169 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 41% of Pulaski 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: 42.63 in, 1.32 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 43.95 in.
USDA rates 90% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 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 | 94% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 73.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
54 flood losses since 2016, $3.0 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 40. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 20% basements, 40% slabs, 24% crawl spaces, 16% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 74.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 40 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 43.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.63 in (-1.32) |
| 2025 | 37.11 in (-6.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 62.40 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 24.06 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAYNESVILLE 2 W (2 mi away) | 13.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,431 |
| Median year built | 1994 |
| Built before 1980 | 30% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $189,800 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County, MO | 23 mi | 15% | 53% |
| Laclede County, MO | 24 mi | 14% | 55% |
| Maries County, MO | 28 mi | 29% | 70% |
| Miller County, MO | 30 mi | 23% | 44% |
| Camden County, MO | 33 mi | 34% | 22% |
| Texas County, MO | 38 mi | 15% | 55% |
| Wright County, MO | 41 mi | 5% | 47% |
| Dent County, MO | 42 mi | 1% | 44% |
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