Major County, Oklahoma
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 13% of Major County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 7%, both below the national shares of 15% and 29%. 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. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Major County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 81.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.9% |
| Mapped soil | 612,807 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Nobscot | 14% | n/a |
| Burford | 7% | n/a |
| Eda | 7% | n/a |
| Meno | 4% | n/a |
| Knoco | 4% | n/a |
| Grant | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK093 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.14 in, 9.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.00 in.
USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 13% and a shallow water table on 7% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Major County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 39 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 63.6% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $3,995 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.00 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.14 in (-9.86) |
| 2025 | 32.52 in (+2.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 49.09 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 13.21 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ORIENTA 1SSW (4 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,716 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $149,600 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaine County, OK | 31 mi | 16% | 6% |
| Alfalfa County, OK | 31 mi | 8% | 10% |
| Woods County, OK | 34 mi | 13% | 8% |
| Dewey County, OK | 35 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Woodward County, OK | 41 mi | 8% | 6% |
| Garfield County, OK | 42 mi | 46% | 6% |
| Kingfisher County, OK | 42 mi | 25% | 4% |
| Custer County, OK | 53 mi | under 1% | 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