Otero County, Colorado
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19% of Otero County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties and the 9th highest of 63 Colorado counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
3.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Otero County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 55.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 12.4% |
| Mapped soil | 812,075 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Manvel | 16% | n/a |
| Minnequa | 13% | n/a |
| Penrose | 8% | n/a |
| Tyrone | 5% | n/a |
| Fort | 5% | n/a |
| Manzanola | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO089 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.5% by land area here, and 12% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 3.8% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 19% of Otero County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.29 in, 4.10 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 13.39 in.
USDA rates 55% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
3.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 48.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 3.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $16,792 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 13.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 9.29 in (-4.10) |
| 2025 | 10.30 in (-3.09) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 24.01 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2002: 5.76 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROCKY FORD 2 SE (11 mi away) | 1.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,746 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $168,900 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crowley County, CO | 29 mi | 46% | 1% |
| Bent County, CO | 35 mi | 13% | 3% |
| Las Animas County, CO | 43 mi | 27% | 1% |
| Pueblo County, CO | 46 mi | 17% | 2% |
| Kiowa County, CO | 63 mi | 10% | 1% |
| Huerfano County, CO | 69 mi | 13% | 2% |
| Prowers County, CO | 73 mi | 10% | 4% |
| Baca County, CO | 76 mi | 28% | under 1% |
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