Rio Grande County, Colorado
A shallow water table limits basements on 42% of Rio Grande County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties and the highest of 63 Colorado counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
The soil survey maps 48% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Rio Grande County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.3% |
| Mapped soil | 280,525 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Norte | 11% | n/a |
| Luhon | 8% | n/a |
| Garita | 7% | n/a |
| Dunul | 7% | n/a |
| San Arcacio | 6% | n/a |
| Travelers | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas CO631 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 42% of Rio Grande County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.59 in, 2.77 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.36 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 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 | 89.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 1.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $10,287 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 14.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.59 in (-2.77) |
| 2025 | 14.10 in (-0.26) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 23.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2002: 7.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MONTE VISTA 2W (16 mi away) | 0.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,616 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $239,500 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conejos County, CO | 24 mi | under 1% | 28% |
| Mineral County, CO | 28 mi | 1% | 5% |
| Alamosa County, CO | 37 mi | 2% | 36% |
| Archuleta County, CO | 38 mi | 53% | 3% |
| Saguache County, CO | 40 mi | 4% | 15% |
| Hinsdale County, CO | 56 mi | under 1% | 2% |
| Costilla County, CO | 58 mi | under 1% | 4% |
| Rio Arriba County, NM | 69 mi | 14% | 3% |
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