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Hidalgo County, New Mexico
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Hidalgo County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties and the 4th highest of 33 New Mexico counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
87.1% 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. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Hidalgo County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 34.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.9% |
| Mapped soil | 2,169,198 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lehmans | 15% | n/a |
| Nickel | 8% | n/a |
| Mohave | 7% | n/a |
| Stellar | 6% | n/a |
| Upton | 5% | n/a |
| Eba | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas NM023 (2025-09-09)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 38% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 87.1% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Hidalgo County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.39 in, 0.10 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 12.29 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
87.1% 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 40 weeks, most recently on the July 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 87.1% |
| D2 severe or worse | 63.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Hidalgo County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 12.29 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.39 in (+0.10) |
| 2025 | 8.31 in (-3.98) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1905: 21.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 5.29 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ANIMAS 3ESE (3 mi away) | 1.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,232 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $111,000 |
| Single-family detached | 63% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cochise County, AZ | 60 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| Grant County, NM | 62 mi | 38% | under 1% |
| Luna County, NM | 62 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| Greenlee County, AZ | 97 mi | 35% | 1% |
| Graham County, AZ | 97 mi | 32% | under 1% |
| Doña Ana County, NM | 116 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Sierra County, NM | 124 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Santa Cruz County, AZ | 126 mi | 16% | 0% |
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