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Bernalillo County, New Mexico

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 9% of Bernalillo County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, 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 17 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

9%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

<1%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

47%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Bernalillo County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)8.8%
High water table (limits basements)0.2%
Septic fields very limited71.0%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)9.0%
Mapped soil750,507 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Bluepoint14%n/a
Madurez8%n/a
Wink7%n/a
Silver6%n/a
Kokan5%n/a
Penistaja5%n/a
Valencia County: 4%Sandoval County: 7%Santa Fe County: 6%Torrance County: 5%Los Alamos County: 25%Socorro County: 4%Cibola County: 33%McKinley County: 22%Bernalillo County ValenciaSandovalSanta FeTorranceLos AlamosSocorroCibolaMcKinleyBernalillo
Bernalillo County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas NM600 (2025-09-09), NM674 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.49 in, 3.16 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 11.65 in.

USDA rates 71% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 9% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Bernalillo 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 41 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse33.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

17 flood losses since 2016, $56,217 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20161
20171
20184
20193
20200
20211
20222
20231
20241
20253
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202011.65 in
12 months to August 20268.49 in (-3.16)
20259.86 in (-1.79)
Wettest year since 18951941: 21.62 in
Driest year since 18951956: 5.32 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY (3 mi away)0.7

Homes

Housing units302,746
Median year built1982
Built before 198047%
Built 2000 or later24%
Owner-occupied65%
Median value, owner-occupied$292,900
Single-family detached64%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Valencia County, NM 25 mi 4% 3%
Sandoval County, NM 45 mi 7% 1%
Santa Fe County, NM 51 mi 6% under 1%
Torrance County, NM 56 mi 5% 1%
Los Alamos County, NM 60 mi 25% 0%
Socorro County, NM 75 mi 4% 1%
Cibola County, NM 75 mi 33% 3%
McKinley County, NM 97 mi 22% under 1%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 9, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status