Las Animas County, Colorado
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of Las Animas County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties and the 6th highest of 63 Colorado counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
54% 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. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Las Animas County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.1% |
| Mapped soil | 3,043,091 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Travessilla | 9% | n/a |
| Wilid | 6% | n/a |
| Wiley | 4% | n/a |
| Manzanola | 3% | n/a |
| Manzanst | 3% | n/a |
| Penrose | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO628 (2025-08-29), CO636 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 54% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Las Animas County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.03 in, 5.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.78 in.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
54% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 46 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 | 66.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 54% |
| D2 severe or worse | 23.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 1.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.03 in (-5.75) |
| 2025 | 13.44 in (-2.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 26.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2012: 9.05 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TRINIDAD PERRY STOKES AP (17 mi away) | 1.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,170 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $237,600 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otero County, CO | 43 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Huerfano County, CO | 56 mi | 13% | 2% |
| Colfax County, NM | 59 mi | 52% | 2% |
| Pueblo County, CO | 63 mi | 17% | 2% |
| Union County, NM | 65 mi | 28% | 1% |
| Bent County, CO | 68 mi | 13% | 3% |
| Crowley County, CO | 70 mi | 46% | 1% |
| Costilla County, CO | 76 mi | under 1% | 4% |
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