Stoddard County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 87% of Stoddard County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 21%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 11 flood losses here since 2016. 58% 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 Stoddard County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 21.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 87.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.3% |
| Mapped soil | 530,496 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO207 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% 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 21% of the mapped land.
On 87% of Stoddard 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: 34.81 in, 14.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.26 in.
USDA rates 92% 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 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 76.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $184,006 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 6.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.81 in (-14.45) |
| 2025 | 48.48 in (-0.78) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 73.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1980: 30.10 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SIKESTON PWR STN (18 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,400 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $143,300 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Madrid County, MO | 24 mi | 35% | 84% |
| Scott County, MO | 25 mi | 16% | 58% |
| Butler County, MO | 27 mi | 8% | 70% |
| Bollinger County, MO | 33 mi | 4% | 56% |
| Wayne County, MO | 33 mi | 5% | 32% |
| Mississippi County, MO | 36 mi | 33% | 85% |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 40 mi | 3% | 24% |
| Alexander County, IL | 40 mi | 19% | 48% |
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