Ellis County, Oklahoma
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 3% of Ellis County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 4%, 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. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1969.
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 Ellis County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.9% |
| Mapped soil | 788,921 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Nobscot | 10% | n/a |
| Likes | 5% | n/a |
| Abbie | 5% | n/a |
| Delwin | 5% | n/a |
| Berda | 5% | n/a |
| Vici | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK045 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 17.08 in, 7.38 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.46 in.
USDA rates 60% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 3% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Ellis 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 34 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 | 73.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 43.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 22.9% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Ellis County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.46 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 17.08 in (-7.38) |
| 2025 | 27.41 in (+2.95) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 38.75 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 12.62 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ARNETT 3NE (4 mi away) | 7.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,127 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 82% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $119,100 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lipscomb County, TX | 29 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Woodward County, OK | 30 mi | 8% | 6% |
| Roger Mills County, OK | 36 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Harper County, OK | 40 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Hemphill County, TX | 41 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Dewey County, OK | 44 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Beaver County, OK | 54 mi | 6% | 7% |
| Custer County, OK | 58 mi | under 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