Wayne County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 32% of Wayne County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5%.
61.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Wayne County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 5.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 32.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.4% |
| Mapped soil | 495,302 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville | 19% | 0% |
| Scholten | 12% | n/a |
| Tilk | 7% | n/a |
| Alred | 6% | n/a |
| Poynor | 6% | n/a |
| Captina | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO223 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 32% of Wayne 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: 33.11 in, 16.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.17 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
61.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the June 23, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 61.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
16 flood losses since 2016, $579,970 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.17 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.11 in (-16.06) |
| 2025 | 35.92 in (-13.25) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1927: 71.41 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1953: 25.85 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLEARWATER DAM (18 mi away) | 13.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,119 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,400 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, MO | 26 mi | 6% | 38% |
| Bollinger County, MO | 28 mi | 4% | 56% |
| Butler County, MO | 28 mi | 8% | 70% |
| Carter County, MO | 29 mi | 2% | 18% |
| Reynolds County, MO | 33 mi | 7% | 22% |
| Stoddard County, MO | 33 mi | 21% | 87% |
| Iron County, MO | 38 mi | 8% | 42% |
| Ripley County, MO | 40 mi | 16% | 33% |
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