Jackson County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 35% of Jackson County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 10%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 65% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Jackson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 34.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.3% |
| Mapped soil | 523,149 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Hollister | 13% | n/a |
| Tillman | 7% | 93% |
| Spur | 6% | n/a |
| Aspermont | 5% | n/a |
| La Casa | 4% | n/a |
| Roark | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK065 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 35% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 35% of Jackson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.99 in, 13.01 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.00 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 | 99.8% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.00 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.99 in (-13.01) |
| 2025 | 24.28 in (-2.72) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 46.67 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 12.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HEADRICK (16 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 12,072 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 65% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $158,400 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greer County, OK | 25 mi | 26% | 3% |
| Harmon County, OK | 27 mi | 25% | 2% |
| Hardeman County, TX | 28 mi | 34% | 1% |
| Tillman County, OK | 31 mi | 47% | 2% |
| Kiowa County, OK | 33 mi | 54% | 1% |
| Wilbarger County, TX | 36 mi | 41% | under 1% |
| Childress County, TX | 46 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Foard County, TX | 49 mi | 49% | 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