Dewey County, Oklahoma
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 1% of Dewey County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 2%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 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. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Dewey County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 1.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 645,478 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Quinlan | 22% | n/a |
| Hardeman | 11% | n/a |
| Woodward | 10% | n/a |
| St. Paul | 10% | n/a |
| Carey | 9% | n/a |
| Nobscot | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK043 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.20 in, 12.33 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 28.53 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Dewey County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 | 100% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Dewey County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.53 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.20 in (-12.33) |
| 2025 | 30.30 in (+1.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 44.44 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1952: 12.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TALOGA (5 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,184 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $133,600 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County, OK | 23 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Blaine County, OK | 33 mi | 16% | 6% |
| Woodward County, OK | 34 mi | 8% | 6% |
| Major County, OK | 35 mi | 13% | 7% |
| Ellis County, OK | 44 mi | 3% | 4% |
| Roger Mills County, OK | 45 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Washita County, OK | 48 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Woods County, OK | 52 mi | 13% | 8% |
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