Creek County, Oklahoma
A shallow water table limits basements on 38% of Creek County's mapped land, a higher share than 56% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 6 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Creek County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 37.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 23.3% |
| Mapped soil | 620,710 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Bigheart | 16% | n/a |
| Niotaze | 14% | n/a |
| Bartlesville | 10% | n/a |
| Collinsville | 6% | n/a |
| Talihina | 5% | n/a |
| Dennis | 5% | 100% |
How we count · survey areas OK037 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.8% by land area here, and 23% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Creek County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 38% of Creek 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: 36.23 in, 4.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.67 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 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 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 | 93.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 2.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
6 flood losses since 2016, $179,242 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 4 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.67 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.23 in (-4.44) |
| 2025 | 48.82 in (+8.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1908: 63.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 21.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STROUD 3 N (18 mi away) | 11.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 31,629 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $182,100 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa County, OK | 29 mi | 47% | 52% |
| Okmulgee County, OK | 30 mi | 37% | 53% |
| Okfuskee County, OK | 31 mi | 30% | 39% |
| Lincoln County, OK | 31 mi | 27% | 10% |
| Pawnee County, OK | 33 mi | 33% | 22% |
| Payne County, OK | 35 mi | 25% | 7% |
| Wagoner County, OK | 48 mi | 34% | 48% |
| Osage County, OK | 50 mi | 41% | 40% |
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