Choctaw County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47% of Choctaw County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties and the 10th highest of 77 Oklahoma 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Choctaw County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 47.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.4% |
| Mapped soil | 512,064 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Bosville | 13% | n/a |
| Bernow | 11% | n/a |
| Hollywood | 7% | n/a |
| Muskogee | 7% | n/a |
| Tenaha | 6% | n/a |
| Swink | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK023 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 47% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Choctaw County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 36% of Choctaw 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: 41.49 in, 6.72 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.21 in.
USDA rates 66% 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 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 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 | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $70,892 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.21 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.49 in (-6.72) |
| 2025 | 47.68 in (-0.53) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 77.56 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 20.80 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PARIS (24 mi away) | 15.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,117 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $126,500 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar County, TX | 25 mi | 66% | 31% |
| Pushmataha County, OK | 26 mi | 27% | 26% |
| Atoka County, OK | 37 mi | 45% | 36% |
| Red River County, TX | 40 mi | 61% | 40% |
| Bryan County, OK | 41 mi | 42% | 19% |
| Fannin County, TX | 44 mi | 66% | 23% |
| Delta County, TX | 45 mi | 77% | 15% |
| McCurtain County, OK | 46 mi | 37% | 28% |
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