Cochise County, Arizona
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28% of Cochise County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties and the 5th highest of 15 Arizona counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
The soil survey maps 86% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 15 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Cochise County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.9% |
| Mapped soil | 3,412,419 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Tubac | 3% | n/a |
| Sasabe | 3% | n/a |
| Forrest | 3% | n/a |
| Pima | 2% | n/a |
| Guest | 2% | n/a |
| Courtland | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AZ664 (2025-08-27), AZ665 (2025-08-27), AZ666 (2025-08-27), AZ671 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 28% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.84 in, 1.87 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 13.97 in.
USDA rates 70% 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 12 weeks, most recently on the January 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 8.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
15 flood losses since 2016, $142,501 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 5.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 13.97 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 15.84 in (+1.87) |
| 2025 | 10.27 in (-3.70) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1905: 25.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 7.39 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TOMBSTONE (19 mi away) | 2.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 59,666 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $218,300 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo County, NM | 60 mi | 34% | 1% |
| Santa Cruz County, AZ | 67 mi | 16% | 0% |
| Graham County, AZ | 76 mi | 32% | under 1% |
| Greenlee County, AZ | 101 mi | 35% | 1% |
| Grant County, NM | 102 mi | 38% | under 1% |
| Pinal County, AZ | 119 mi | 15% | under 1% |
| Pima County, AZ | 119 mi | 9% | 0% |
| Luna County, NM | 121 mi | 28% | under 1% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 27, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status