Hughes County, Oklahoma
A shallow water table limits basements on 43% of Hughes County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31%.
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. 64% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Hughes County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 43.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.9% |
| Mapped soil | 521,696 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hector | 19% | n/a |
| Dennis | 13% | 100% |
| Endsaw | 10% | n/a |
| Kamie | 10% | n/a |
| Clearview | 9% | n/a |
| Verdigris | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK063 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.4% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 31% of Hughes County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 43% of Hughes 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: 32.51 in, 11.85 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.36 in.
USDA rates 86% 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 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 | 88.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Hughes County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.51 in (-11.85) |
| 2025 | 48.07 in (+3.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 78.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1896: 24.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEMINOLE (26 mi away) | 13.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,782 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $102,000 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminole County, OK | 21 mi | 17% | 25% |
| Okfuskee County, OK | 29 mi | 30% | 39% |
| Pittsburg County, OK | 30 mi | 44% | 41% |
| Coal County, OK | 33 mi | 54% | 71% |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 34 mi | 28% | 15% |
| McIntosh County, OK | 39 mi | 35% | 36% |
| Pottawatomie County, OK | 41 mi | 23% | 6% |
| Okmulgee County, OK | 44 mi | 37% | 53% |
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