Lincoln County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of Lincoln County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Lincoln County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 9.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.0% |
| Mapped soil | 617,561 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Stephenville | 16% | 0% |
| Darnell | 16% | n/a |
| Grainola | 10% | n/a |
| Renthin | 8% | n/a |
| Coyle | 8% | n/a |
| Pulaski | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK081 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.7% by land area here, and 24% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Lincoln County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 28.41 in, 9.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.39 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 52 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 86.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.41 in (-9.98) |
| 2025 | 44.70 in (+6.31) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1908: 63.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 19.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHANDLER (0 mi away) | 12.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 14,561 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $166,500 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payne County, OK | 27 mi | 25% | 7% |
| Creek County, OK | 31 mi | 27% | 38% |
| Oklahoma County, OK | 32 mi | 21% | 3% |
| Pottawatomie County, OK | 34 mi | 23% | 6% |
| Logan County, OK | 35 mi | 21% | 2% |
| Okfuskee County, OK | 35 mi | 30% | 39% |
| Seminole County, OK | 41 mi | 17% | 25% |
| Cleveland County, OK | 42 mi | 21% | 5% |
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