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Lincoln County, New Mexico

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 2% of Lincoln County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 87% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part.

99.7% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 192 flood losses here since 2016, 5% of them in buildings with basements. 39% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

2%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

<1%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

39%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lincoln County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)2.5%
High water table (limits basements)0.1%
Septic fields very limited73.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.1%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)2.6%
Mapped soil2,696,144 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Deama17%n/a
Pastura12%n/a
Darvey6%n/a
Harvey4%n/a
Tortugas4%n/a
Ector3%0%
Torrance County: 5%Chaves County: 4%De Baca County: 3%Otero County: 3%Guadalupe County: 2%Socorro County: 4%Valencia County: 4%Sierra County: 13%Lincoln County TorranceChavesDe BacaOteroGuadalupeSocorroValenciaSierraLincoln
Lincoln 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 NM632 (2025-09-09), NM674 (2025-09-09), NM688 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.92 in, 3.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.05 in.

USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lincoln County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

99.7% 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 28 weeks, most recently on the September 22, 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 worse99.7%
D2 severe or worse70.2%
D3 extreme or worse26.7%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

192 flood losses since 2016, $14.9 million paid. The worst year was 2025, with 88. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 5% basements, 34% slabs, 41% crawl spaces, 20% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 48 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20181
20190
20200
202115
20220
20230
202488
202588
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202014.05 in
12 months to August 202610.92 in (-3.13)
202512.03 in (-2.02)
Wettest year since 18951941: 30.18 in
Driest year since 18951945: 7.79 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CAPITAN (17 mi away)1.7

Homes

Housing units17,871
Median year built1985
Built before 198039%
Built 2000 or later28%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$233,200
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
Torrance County, NM 62 mi 5% 1%
Chaves County, NM 62 mi 4% 1%
De Baca County, NM 75 mi 3% 2%
Otero County, NM 80 mi 3% 2%
Guadalupe County, NM 87 mi 2% under 1%
Socorro County, NM 87 mi 4% 1%
Valencia County, NM 103 mi 4% 3%
Sierra County, NM 109 mi 13% 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