Greer County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 26% of Greer County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1964.
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 Greer County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.1% |
| Mapped soil | 411,642 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Knoco | 6% | n/a |
| Spur | 6% | n/a |
| Hollister | 5% | n/a |
| Grandfield | 5% | n/a |
| Westill | 4% | n/a |
| Vernon | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK055 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 26% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 26% of Greer County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.98 in, 13.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.40 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 43 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 | 64.6% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $35,259 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 26.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.98 in (-13.42) |
| 2025 | 19.83 in (-6.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 43.57 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 12.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MANGUM (4 mi away) | 7.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,613 |
| Median year built | 1964 |
| Built before 1980 | 75% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $109,100 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harmon County, OK | 21 mi | 25% | 2% |
| Beckham County, OK | 25 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Jackson County, OK | 25 mi | 35% | 10% |
| Kiowa County, OK | 32 mi | 54% | 1% |
| Washita County, OK | 40 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Collingsworth County, TX | 41 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| Hardeman County, TX | 46 mi | 34% | 1% |
| Childress County, TX | 47 mi | 12% | 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