Scott County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 58% of Scott County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
0.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 50 flood losses here since 2016, 3% of them in buildings with basements. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Scott County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 58.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.1% |
| Mapped soil | 272,537 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO201 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
On 58% of Scott 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: 38.60 in, 10.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.90 in.
USDA rates 89% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 29 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 38.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
50 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 10. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 3% basements, 44% slabs, 53% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.90 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 38.60 in (-10.30) |
| 2025 | 52.12 in (+3.22) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 73.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 30.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SIKESTON PWR STN (12 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,861 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $154,400 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander County, IL | 15 mi | 19% | 48% |
| Mississippi County, MO | 21 mi | 33% | 85% |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 24 mi | 3% | 24% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 25 mi | 21% | 87% |
| Pulaski County, IL | 27 mi | 10% | 72% |
| Ballard County, KY | 31 mi | 2% | 67% |
| Bollinger County, MO | 32 mi | 4% | 56% |
| New Madrid County, MO | 32 mi | 35% | 84% |
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