Worth County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 58% of Worth County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 41%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
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 Worth County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 41.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 57.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 97.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 41.8% |
| Mapped soil | 170,342 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby | 22% | n/a |
| Olmitz | 11% | n/a |
| Gara | 11% | 5% |
| Adair | 8% | n/a |
| Sharpsburg | 7% | 93% |
| Kennebec | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MO227 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 42% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 41% of the mapped land.
On 58% of Worth 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: 36.19 in, 1.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 37.64 in.
USDA rates 97% 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 7 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the March 31, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Worth County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 37.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.19 in (-1.45) |
| 2025 | 31.44 in (-6.20) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 57.02 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1988: 16.11 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MT AYR (18 mi away) | 10.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,116 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $96,600 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gentry County, MO | 19 mi | 68% | 71% |
| Ringgold County, IA | 20 mi | 76% | 77% |
| Taylor County, IA | 23 mi | 85% | 83% |
| Harrison County, MO | 24 mi | 66% | 68% |
| Nodaway County, MO | 26 mi | 79% | 62% |
| Decatur County, IA | 38 mi | 66% | 76% |
| Union County, IA | 39 mi | 85% | 78% |
| Andrew County, MO | 40 mi | 48% | 58% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status