Randolph County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 85% of Randolph County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 83%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 61% 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 Randolph County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 82.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 98.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 80.4% |
| Mapped soil | 312,230 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Keswick | 23% | n/a |
| Mexico | 11% | n/a |
| Leonard | 10% | n/a |
| Gosport | 9% | n/a |
| Lindley | 8% | n/a |
| Gorin | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO175 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.7% by land area here, and 80% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 83% of the mapped land.
On 85% of Randolph 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: 36.40 in, 4.94 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 41.34 in.
USDA rates 98% 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 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 78.6% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the March 3, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 42.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Randolph County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.40 in (-4.94) |
| 2025 | 31.99 in (-9.35) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2008: 61.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 22.22 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MOBERLY (3 mi away) | 11.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,862 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,300 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, MO | 23 mi | 35% | 59% |
| Chariton County, MO | 26 mi | 66% | 88% |
| Monroe County, MO | 26 mi | 84% | 85% |
| Macon County, MO | 27 mi | 80% | 95% |
| Boone County, MO | 33 mi | 71% | 78% |
| Shelby County, MO | 33 mi | 87% | 91% |
| Audrain County, MO | 38 mi | 90% | 98% |
| Saline County, MO | 43 mi | 44% | 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