Baca County, Colorado
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28% of Baca County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties and the 5th highest of 63 Colorado counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
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. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Baca County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 51.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.8% |
| Mapped soil | 1,599,659 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Baca | 20% | n/a |
| Wiley | 17% | n/a |
| Campo | 8% | n/a |
| Vona | 7% | n/a |
| Otero | 6% | n/a |
| Manter | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO009 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.4% by land area here, and 30% 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: 12.03 in, 4.55 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.58 in.
USDA rates 52% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 80.5% |
| 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 Baca County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 16.58 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.03 in (-4.55) |
| 2025 | 16.65 in (+0.07) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 29.15 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 8.50 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALSH 1 W (14 mi away) | 4.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,983 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $122,900 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cimarron County, OK | 38 mi | 22% | 2% |
| Morton County, KS | 41 mi | 2% | 1% |
| Stanton County, KS | 45 mi | 2% | 2% |
| Prowers County, CO | 46 mi | 10% | 4% |
| Bent County, CO | 52 mi | 13% | 3% |
| Hamilton County, KS | 63 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Stevens County, KS | 68 mi | 6% | 1% |
| Grant County, KS | 70 mi | 2% | 2% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status