La Paz County, Arizona
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of La Paz County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 81.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 La Paz County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 50.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.1% |
| Mapped soil | 2,818,594 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Gunsight | 13% | n/a |
| Hyder | 8% | n/a |
| Denure | 5% | n/a |
| Plomosa | 5% | n/a |
| Rillito | 4% | n/a |
| Superstition | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas AZ649 (2025-08-27), AZ656 (2025-08-27), AZ657 (2025-08-27)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 4.92 in, 0.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 5.67 in.
USDA rates 51% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of La Paz County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
81.8% 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 14 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 81.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $53,515 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 5.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 4.92 in (-0.75) |
| 2025 | 5.84 in (+0.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 12.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 1.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at QUARTZSITE (12 mi away) | 0.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 13,672 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $135,800 |
| Single-family detached | 37% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuma County, AZ | 66 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Imperial County, CA | 90 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Maricopa County, AZ | 93 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Yavapai County, AZ | 105 mi | 29% | under 1% |
| Riverside County, CA | 110 mi | 3% | 5% |
| Mohave County, AZ | 139 mi | 6% | under 1% |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 145 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Pinal County, AZ | 164 mi | 15% | 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