Jefferson County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17% of Jefferson County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
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. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Jefferson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 17.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 54.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.7% |
| Mapped soil | 498,745 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Zaneis | 26% | n/a |
| Pawhuska | 9% | n/a |
| Port | 7% | n/a |
| Lucien | 7% | n/a |
| Teller | 5% | n/a |
| Grainola | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK067 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.6% by land area here, and 11% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 17% of Jefferson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 25.68 in, 9.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.07 in.
USDA rates 55% 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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 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 | 95.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 25.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Jefferson County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.07 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.68 in (-9.39) |
| 2025 | 39.55 in (+4.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 65.77 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 19.69 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GRADY 2E (13 mi away) | 11.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,734 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $82,500 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephens County, OK | 26 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Montague County, TX | 30 mi | 23% | 3% |
| Clay County, TX | 31 mi | 23% | 2% |
| Carter County, OK | 33 mi | 23% | 3% |
| Cotton County, OK | 33 mi | 54% | 4% |
| Love County, OK | 35 mi | 17% | 2% |
| Cooke County, TX | 48 mi | 38% | under 1% |
| Wichita County, TX | 50 mi | 43% | under 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