Blaine County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 16% of Blaine County's mapped land, a higher share than 65% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 6%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Blaine County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 16.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 16.3% |
| Mapped soil | 600,678 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Lovedale | 8% | n/a |
| Nobscot | 6% | n/a |
| Norge | 5% | n/a |
| Grant | 5% | n/a |
| Minco | 5% | n/a |
| Knoco | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK011 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.4% by land area here, and 16% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 16% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 16% of Blaine County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.84 in, 15.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.95 in.
USDA rates 76% 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 34 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 61.1% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Blaine County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.95 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 15.84 in (-15.11) |
| 2025 | 28.90 in (-2.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2007: 52.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 13.91 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WATONGA (2 mi away) | 9.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,581 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $126,900 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingfisher County, OK | 28 mi | 25% | 4% |
| Major County, OK | 31 mi | 13% | 7% |
| Dewey County, OK | 33 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Canadian County, OK | 34 mi | 20% | 4% |
| Custer County, OK | 36 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Caddo County, OK | 49 mi | 6% | 2% |
| Garfield County, OK | 50 mi | 46% | 6% |
| Washita County, OK | 52 mi | 1% | 1% |
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