Huerfano County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 13% of Huerfano County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.
FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1975.
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 Huerfano County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 68.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 14.3% |
| Mapped soil | 1,017,324 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Noden | 5% | n/a |
| Wilid | 4% | n/a |
| Travessilla | 3% | n/a |
| Manzanst | 3% | n/a |
| Wiley | 2% | n/a |
| Baca | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO627 (2025-08-29), CO628 (2025-08-29), CO634 (2025-08-29), CO636 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.78 in, 6.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.76 in.
USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 13% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Huerfano County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
100% 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 29 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 97.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 1.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.76 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.78 in (-6.98) |
| 2025 | 15.53 in (-2.23) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 25.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2002: 10.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WALSENBURG 1 NW (10 mi away) | 2.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,783 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $247,800 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, CO | 36 mi | 2% | 7% |
| Costilla County, CO | 38 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Pueblo County, CO | 42 mi | 17% | 2% |
| Alamosa County, CO | 46 mi | 2% | 36% |
| Las Animas County, CO | 56 mi | 27% | 1% |
| Fremont County, CO | 59 mi | 5% | 2% |
| Otero County, CO | 69 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Saguache County, CO | 74 mi | 4% | 15% |
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