HomeNew MexicoValencia County

Valencia County, New Mexico

USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 4% of Valencia County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 3%, 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 43 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

4%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

3%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

31%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Valencia County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)4.5%
High water table (limits basements)2.8%
Septic fields very limited46.7%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)4.7%
Mapped soil696,888 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Madurez13%n/a
Bluepoint12%n/a
Wink12%n/a
Tres Hermanos5%n/a
Latene4%n/a
Caliza3%n/a
Bernalillo County: 9%Socorro County: 4%Torrance County: 5%Sandoval County: 7%Cibola County: 33%Santa Fe County: 6%Los Alamos County: 25%McKinley County: 22%Valencia County BernalilloSocorroTorranceSandovalCibolaSanta FeLos AlamosMcKinleyValencia
Valencia 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), NM612 (2025-09-09), NM674 (2025-09-09), NM682 (2025-09-09)

What the numbers mean here

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 7.26 in, 2.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 10.12 in.

With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 3% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Valencia 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 worse54.9%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

43 flood losses since 2016, $635,415 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 17. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 90% slabs, 10% crawl spaces.

YearFlood losses
20161
201713
20184
20192
20201
202117
20220
20231
20242
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202010.12 in
12 months to August 20267.26 in (-2.86)
20258.40 in (-1.72)
Wettest year since 18951941: 18.92 in
Driest year since 18951956: 3.48 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LOS LUNAS 3 SSW (4 mi away)0.9

Homes

Housing units30,756
Median year built1989
Built before 198031%
Built 2000 or later27%
Owner-occupied83%
Median value, owner-occupied$223,000
Single-family detached63%

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
Bernalillo County, NM 25 mi 9% under 1%
Socorro County, NM 51 mi 4% 1%
Torrance County, NM 53 mi 5% 1%
Sandoval County, NM 67 mi 7% 1%
Cibola County, NM 69 mi 33% 3%
Santa Fe County, NM 73 mi 6% under 1%
Los Alamos County, NM 85 mi 25% 0%
McKinley County, NM 101 mi 22% 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