Ray County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 84% of Ray County's mapped land, a higher share than 91% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 71%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 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 Ray County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 70.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 84.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 72.2% |
| Mapped soil | 367,174 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Lagonda | 12% | n/a |
| Snead | 9% | n/a |
| Armster | 8% | n/a |
| Sharpsburg | 6% | 93% |
| Knox | 5% | n/a |
| Nodaway | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO177 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.1% by land area here, and 72% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 71% of the mapped land.
On 84% of Ray 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: 37.74 in, 2.41 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.15 in.
USDA rates 95% 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 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 96.6% 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 | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $77,725 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.15 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.74 in (-2.41) |
| 2025 | 31.67 in (-8.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 57.38 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 21.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HIGGINSVILLE (22 mi away) | 11.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,931 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $198,800 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County, MO | 20 mi | 25% | 64% |
| Clay County, MO | 23 mi | 61% | 75% |
| Caldwell County, MO | 24 mi | 79% | 96% |
| Carroll County, MO | 28 mi | 72% | 88% |
| Jackson County, MO | 28 mi | 36% | 50% |
| Clinton County, MO | 30 mi | 78% | 77% |
| Livingston County, MO | 40 mi | 76% | 98% |
| Johnson County, MO | 40 mi | 41% | 79% |
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