HomeNew MexicoCurry County

Curry County, New Mexico

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Curry County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% of US counties and the 6th highest of 33 New Mexico counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.

64.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

29%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

1%

high water table: limits basements

65%

in drought, October 13, 2026

57%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Curry County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)28.7%
High water table (limits basements)0.9%
Septic fields very limited31.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)23.2%
Mapped soil883,012 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Acuff23%1%
Amarillo23%0%
Olton21%91%
Estacado8%n/a
Posey4%n/a
Spantara3%n/a
Parmer County: 61%Quay County: 15%Roosevelt County: 3%Bailey County: 3%Deaf Smith County: 70%De Baca County: 3%Castro County: 82%Lamb County: 14%Curry County ParmerQuayRooseveltBaileyDeaf SmithDe BacaCastroLambCurry
Curry 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 NM669 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 23% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.

Clay shrinks as it dries: 64.7% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Curry County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.33 in, 4.63 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.96 in.

Drought

64.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 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 worse64.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

6 flood losses since 2016, $119,791 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 4.

YearFlood losses
20162
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20220
20234
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202016.96 in
12 months to August 202612.33 in (-4.63)
202520.84 in (+3.88)
Wettest year since 18951941: 40.31 in
Driest year since 18952011: 8.07 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLOVIS 13 N (8 mi away)3.8

Homes

Housing units21,426
Median year built1976
Built before 198057%
Built 2000 or later22%
Owner-occupied63%
Median value, owner-occupied$171,200
Single-family detached73%

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
Parmer County, TX 32 mi 61% 2%
Quay County, NM 39 mi 15% 1%
Roosevelt County, NM 39 mi 3% under 1%
Bailey County, TX 46 mi 3% 2%
Deaf Smith County, TX 49 mi 70% 3%
De Baca County, NM 60 mi 3% 2%
Castro County, TX 62 mi 82% 5%
Lamb County, TX 67 mi 14% 2%

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