HomeNew MexicoSandoval County

Sandoval County, New Mexico

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 7% of Sandoval County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 1%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. The soil survey maps 85% of the county's land area; these shares describe the mapped part.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 9 flood losses here since 2016. 20% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

7%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

1%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

20%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Sandoval County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)7.2%
High water table (limits basements)1.4%
Septic fields very limited67.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.5%
Mapped soil2,017,427 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Sandoval4%n/a
Penistaja4%n/a
Zia4%n/a
Pinavetes3%n/a
Querencia2%n/a
Menefee2%n/a
Los Alamos County: 25%Bernalillo County: 9%Santa Fe County: 6%Rio Arriba County: 14%Valencia County: 4%McKinley County: 22%Cibola County: 33%Taos County: 12%Sandoval County Los AlamosBernalilloSanta FeRio ArribaValenciaMcKinleyCibolaTaosSandoval
Sandoval 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 NM600 (2025-09-09), NM606 (2025-09-09), NM650 (2025-09-09), NM656 (2025-09-09), NM698 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.49 in, 3.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 12.76 in.

USDA rates 68% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 7% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Sandoval County; conditions still vary lot by lot.

Drought

100% 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 52 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 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 worse100%
D2 severe or worse57.2%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

9 flood losses since 2016, $89,082 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 2.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20182
20190
20200
20212
20221
20230
20242
20251
2026 to date1

Rain

Average year, 1991-202012.76 in
12 months to August 20269.49 in (-3.27)
202510.63 in (-2.13)
Wettest year since 18951941: 23.41 in
Driest year since 18951956: 5.35 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JEMEZ SPRINGS (13 mi away)2.1

Homes

Housing units60,925
Median year built1997
Built before 198020%
Built 2000 or later44%
Owner-occupied84%
Median value, owner-occupied$313,800
Single-family detached84%

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
Los Alamos County, NM 35 mi 25% 0%
Bernalillo County, NM 45 mi 9% under 1%
Santa Fe County, NM 53 mi 6% under 1%
Rio Arriba County, NM 58 mi 14% 3%
Valencia County, NM 67 mi 4% 3%
McKinley County, NM 77 mi 22% under 1%
Cibola County, NM 82 mi 33% 3%
Taos County, NM 93 mi 12% 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