Hinsdale County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on under 1% of Hinsdale County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 55% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part.
99.8% 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. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Hinsdale County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 395,759 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Needleton | 8% | n/a |
| Snowdon | 6% | n/a |
| Moran | 4% | n/a |
| Seitz | 4% | n/a |
| Leighcan | 3% | n/a |
| Whitecross | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO662 (2025-09-02), CO663 (2025-08-29), CO672 (2025-08-29), CO674 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 27.06 in, 1.74 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.80 in.
USDA rates 79% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Hinsdale County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
99.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 99.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 66.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 8.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Hinsdale County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.80 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.06 in (-1.74) |
| 2025 | 26.36 in (-2.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 50.70 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1900: 18.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HERMIT 8 SE (17 mi away) | 0.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,343 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $437,900 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County, CO | 18 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Mineral County, CO | 30 mi | 1% | 5% |
| Ouray County, CO | 31 mi | 19% | 6% |
| La Plata County, CO | 49 mi | 10% | 3% |
| Archuleta County, CO | 49 mi | 53% | 3% |
| Rio Grande County, CO | 56 mi | under 1% | 42% |
| Gunnison County, CO | 58 mi | 9% | 6% |
| San Miguel County, CO | 59 mi | 3% | 1% |
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