HomeMissouriSt. Francois County
St. Francois County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 40% of St. Francois County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 98.9% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 26 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 St. Francois County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 40.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 32.4% |
| Mapped soil | 289,159 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO187 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of St. Francois County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 40% of St. Francois 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: 42.05 in, 3.65 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.70 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 25 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 11 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 | 70.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
26 flood losses since 2016, $952,331 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 7. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 12% slabs, 12% crawl spaces, 72% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 40.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 42.05 in (-3.65) |
| 2025 | 42.97 in (-2.73) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 63.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 24.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FARMINGTON (4 mi away) | 12.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 28,945 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $169,300 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County, MO | 18 mi | 8% | 42% |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | 18 mi | 16% | 34% |
| Madison County, MO | 24 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Washington County, MO | 25 mi | 27% | 25% |
| Jefferson County, MO | 31 mi | 37% | 34% |
| Monroe County, IL | 36 mi | 20% | 59% |
| Perry County, MO | 37 mi | 19% | 32% |
| Randolph County, IL | 39 mi | 24% | 64% |
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