Atoka County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 45% of Atoka County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 36%.
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. 44% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Atoka County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 45.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 36.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.3% |
| Mapped soil | 633,350 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Carnasaw | 19% | 86% |
| Bernow | 17% | n/a |
| Clebit | 6% | n/a |
| Eram | 5% | n/a |
| Bosville | 4% | n/a |
| Endsaw | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK005 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 45% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 45% of Atoka County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 36% of Atoka County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 37.63 in, 8.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.78 in.
USDA rates 75% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 17 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 93% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 47.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $50,800 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.78 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.63 in (-8.15) |
| 2025 | 48.49 in (+2.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 79.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 23.15 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MCGEE CREEK DAM (11 mi away) | 13.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,004 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $157,600 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal County, OK | 19 mi | 54% | 71% |
| Bryan County, OK | 32 mi | 42% | 19% |
| Johnston County, OK | 36 mi | 21% | 19% |
| Pushmataha County, OK | 36 mi | 27% | 26% |
| Choctaw County, OK | 37 mi | 47% | 36% |
| Pittsburg County, OK | 40 mi | 44% | 41% |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 44 mi | 28% | 15% |
| Hughes County, OK | 47 mi | 31% | 43% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status