Mineral County, Colorado
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Mineral County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 5%, 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 no 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 Mineral County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 561,880 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Frisco | 9% | n/a |
| Seitz | 7% | n/a |
| Leighcan | 5% | n/a |
| Leal | 5% | n/a |
| Agneston | 4% | n/a |
| Endlich | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 26.46 in, 1.45 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.91 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 5% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Mineral 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 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 36 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 | 57.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 1.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Mineral County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.91 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 26.46 in (-1.45) |
| 2025 | 25.61 in (-2.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 49.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2002: 16.81 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HERMIT 8 SE (14 mi away) | 0.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,179 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 39% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $430,500 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archuleta County, CO | 27 mi | 53% | 3% |
| Rio Grande County, CO | 28 mi | under 1% | 42% |
| Hinsdale County, CO | 30 mi | under 1% | 2% |
| San Juan County, CO | 41 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Conejos County, CO | 50 mi | under 1% | 28% |
| Saguache County, CO | 50 mi | 4% | 15% |
| La Plata County, CO | 53 mi | 10% | 3% |
| Ouray County, CO | 60 mi | 19% | 6% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status