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Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 34% of Ste. Genevieve County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 58.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 14 flood losses here since 2016. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Ste. Genevieve County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 33.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.1% |
| Mapped soil | 327,078 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO186 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 23% 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.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Ste. Genevieve County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 34% of Ste. Genevieve 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: 39.26 in, 5.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.39 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 20 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 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 | 32.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
14 flood losses since 2016, $225,462 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 39.26 in (-5.13) |
| 2025 | 39.45 in (-4.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 59.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 26.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KASKASKIA RVR NAVIGATION LOCK (13 mi away) | 11.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,326 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 20% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $222,200 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francois County, MO | 18 mi | 15% | 40% |
| Randolph County, IL | 22 mi | 24% | 64% |
| Perry County, MO | 23 mi | 19% | 32% |
| Monroe County, IL | 27 mi | 20% | 59% |
| Madison County, MO | 30 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Jefferson County, MO | 33 mi | 37% | 34% |
| Iron County, MO | 34 mi | 8% | 42% |
| Bollinger County, MO | 40 mi | 4% | 56% |
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