HomeNew MexicoQuay County

Quay County, New Mexico

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 15% of Quay County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 96.6% 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 2 flood losses here since 2016. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

15%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

1%

high water table: limits basements

97%

in drought, October 13, 2026

67%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Quay County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)14.8%
High water table (limits basements)0.6%
Septic fields very limited50.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)13.5%
Mapped soil1,863,273 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Quay7%n/a
Olton5%91%
Redona5%n/a
Latom5%n/a
Acuff5%1%
Montoya5%n/a
Curry County: 29%Deaf Smith County: 70%Harding County: 15%Oldham County: 20%Parmer County: 61%De Baca County: 3%Guadalupe County: 2%Hartley County: 14%Quay County CurryDeaf SmithHardingOldhamParmerDe BacaGuadalupeHartleyQuay
Quay 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), NM676 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.79 in, 6.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.09 in.

USDA rates 50% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 15% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Quay County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

96.6% 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 30 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 worse96.6%
D2 severe or worse81%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $20,321 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20200
20211
20220
20231
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202016.09 in
12 months to August 20269.79 in (-6.30)
202521.29 in (+5.20)
Wettest year since 18951941: 36.16 in
Driest year since 18951934: 7.84 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TUCUMCARI 4 NE (10 mi away)3.2

Homes

Housing units5,536
Median year built1966
Built before 198067%
Built 2000 or later12%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$87,200
Single-family detached67%

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
Curry County, NM 39 mi 29% 1%
Deaf Smith County, TX 54 mi 70% 3%
Harding County, NM 55 mi 15% 1%
Oldham County, TX 57 mi 20% 1%
Parmer County, TX 59 mi 61% 2%
De Baca County, NM 70 mi 3% 2%
Guadalupe County, NM 72 mi 2% under 1%
Hartley County, TX 73 mi 14% 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