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Taos County, New Mexico

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 12% of Taos County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map.

FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

12%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

2%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Taos County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.0%
High water table (limits basements)1.5%
Septic fields very limited71.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.2%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)6.6%
Mapped soil1,411,470 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Fernando7%n/a
Nambe6%n/a
Marosa5%n/a
Silva5%n/a
Hernandez4%n/a
Tenorio3%n/a
Costilla County: 0%Conejos County: 0%Colfax County: 52%Mora County: 46%Rio Arriba County: 14%Los Alamos County: 25%Alamosa County: 2%Santa Fe County: 6%Taos County CostillaConejosColfaxMoraRio ArribaLos AlamosAlamosaSanta FeTaos
Taos 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 NM670 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.21 in, 4.93 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.14 in.

USDA rates 72% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

With shrink-swell clay on 12% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Taos 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 30 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 worse100%
D3 extreme or worse31.5%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20161
20170
20180
20190
20200
20210
20221
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202018.14 in
12 months to August 202613.21 in (-4.93)
202515.99 in (-2.15)
Wettest year since 18951957: 25.37 in
Driest year since 18951956: 9.44 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CERRO (12 mi away)0.6

Homes

Housing units21,250
Median year built1985
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later20%
Owner-occupied78%
Median value, owner-occupied$382,800
Single-family detached69%

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
Costilla County, CO 50 mi under 1% 4%
Conejos County, CO 53 mi under 1% 28%
Colfax County, NM 55 mi 52% 2%
Mora County, NM 57 mi 46% under 1%
Rio Arriba County, NM 59 mi 14% 3%
Los Alamos County, NM 61 mi 25% 0%
Alamosa County, CO 69 mi 2% 36%
Santa Fe County, NM 76 mi 6% under 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