Canadian County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20% of Canadian County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 28 flood losses here since 2016. 28% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1999.
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 Canadian County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 19.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 57.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.4% |
| Mapped soil | 578,489 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Norge | 16% | n/a |
| Bethany | 7% | n/a |
| Port | 6% | n/a |
| Kingfisher | 5% | n/a |
| Lovedale | 5% | n/a |
| Renfrow | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK017 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.1% by land area here, and 19% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Canadian County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 19.04 in, 15.03 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.07 in.
USDA rates 57% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 43 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 | 83% |
Flood losses since 2016
28 flood losses since 2016, $1.0 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 18.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.07 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 19.04 in (-15.03) |
| 2025 | 36.34 in (+2.27) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2007: 52.70 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 16.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at UNION CITY 3 SE (13 mi away) | 10.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 61,956 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 49% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $246,200 |
| Single-family detached | 83% |
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% |
| Oklahoma County, OK | 32 mi | 21% | 3% |
| Blaine County, OK | 34 mi | 16% | 6% |
| Caddo County, OK | 34 mi | 6% | 2% |
| Grady County, OK | 36 mi | 7% | 2% |
| Logan County, OK | 39 mi | 21% | 2% |
| Cleveland County, OK | 44 mi | 21% | 5% |
| McClain County, OK | 47 mi | 12% | 5% |
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