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Roosevelt County, New Mexico

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 3% of Roosevelt County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on under 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 52.7% 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 13 flood losses here since 2016. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

3%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

<1%

high water table: limits basements

53%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Roosevelt County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)3.3%
High water table (limits basements)0.4%
Septic fields very limited31.1%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)1.0%
Mapped soil1,571,347 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Amarose13%n/a
Amarillo13%0%
Arvana5%n/a
Douro4%n/a
Ratliff4%n/a
Jalmar4%n/a
Bailey County: 3%Curry County: 29%Cochran County: 1%Parmer County: 61%De Baca County: 3%Lamb County: 14%Yoakum County: 0%Hockley County: 7%Roosevelt County BaileyCurryCochranParmerDe BacaLambYoakumHockleyRoosevelt
Roosevelt 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 NM041 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.98 in, 5.13 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 16.11 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Roosevelt County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

52.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 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 worse52.7%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $285,875 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 8.

YearFlood losses
20160
20173
20180
20191
20200
20218
20220
20230
20241
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202016.11 in
12 months to August 202610.98 in (-5.13)
202515.97 in (-0.14)
Wettest year since 18951941: 40.66 in
Driest year since 18952020: 7.50 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PORTALES (13 mi away)3.4

Homes

Housing units8,577
Median year built1977
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later19%
Owner-occupied61%
Median value, owner-occupied$135,800
Single-family detached68%

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
Bailey County, TX 38 mi 3% 2%
Curry County, NM 39 mi 29% 1%
Cochran County, TX 47 mi 1% 1%
Parmer County, TX 53 mi 61% 2%
De Baca County, NM 56 mi 3% 2%
Lamb County, TX 65 mi 14% 2%
Yoakum County, TX 70 mi under 1% under 1%
Hockley County, TX 71 mi 7% 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