Comanche County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 38% of Comanche County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% 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 213 flood losses here since 2016, 9% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Comanche County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 37.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 72.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 30.4% |
| Mapped soil | 693,613 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Foard | 14% | n/a |
| Zaneis | 11% | n/a |
| Ashport | 10% | n/a |
| Vernon | 8% | n/a |
| Brico | 7% | n/a |
| Tillman | 6% | 93% |
How we count · survey areas OK031 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 30% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 38% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 38% of Comanche County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.13 in, 10.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 31.89 in.
USDA rates 72% 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 40 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 | 5.5% |
Flood losses since 2016
213 flood losses since 2016, $10.1 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 136. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 9% basements, 79% slabs, 12% crawl spaces. Median water depth outside the building: 9.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 136 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 36 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 31.89 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.13 in (-10.76) |
| 2025 | 35.33 in (+3.44) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2007: 49.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 15.81 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAWTON (4 mi away) | 9.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 52,666 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 56% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 56% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $163,800 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton County, OK | 26 mi | 54% | 4% |
| Tillman County, OK | 33 mi | 47% | 2% |
| Kiowa County, OK | 34 mi | 54% | 1% |
| Caddo County, OK | 35 mi | 6% | 2% |
| Stephens County, OK | 37 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Grady County, OK | 42 mi | 7% | 2% |
| Wichita County, TX | 48 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| 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