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Catron County, New Mexico
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 23% of Catron County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
The soil survey maps 50% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part. 31.1% 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. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Catron County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.2% |
| Mapped soil | 2,216,332 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Catman | 6% | n/a |
| Manzano | 5% | n/a |
| Datil | 5% | n/a |
| Loarc | 4% | n/a |
| Flugle | 4% | n/a |
| Telescope | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NM648 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 23% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 31.1% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 23% of Catron County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.49 in, 1.77 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.26 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
31.1% 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 49 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 31.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Catron County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.49 in (-1.77) |
| 2025 | 9.73 in (-5.53) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1905: 27.20 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 7.55 in |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,409 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 94% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $167,000 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenlee County, AZ | 67 mi | 35% | 1% |
| Cibola County, NM | 75 mi | 33% | 3% |
| Grant County, NM | 81 mi | 38% | under 1% |
| Socorro County, NM | 84 mi | 4% | 1% |
| Sierra County, NM | 88 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Valencia County, NM | 107 mi | 4% | 3% |
| Graham County, AZ | 109 mi | 32% | under 1% |
| McKinley County, NM | 117 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