Murray County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Murray County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%.
98.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Murray County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 29.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 30.0% |
| Mapped soil | 272,147 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Clarita | 14% | n/a |
| Kiti | 14% | n/a |
| Chigley | 7% | n/a |
| Durant | 7% | n/a |
| Garvin | 6% | n/a |
| Rayford | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK099 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.0% by land area here, and 30% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 98.6% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Murray County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 31.62 in, 8.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.98 in.
USDA rates 85% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
98.6% 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 32 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 98.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 2.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $23,627 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.62 in (-8.36) |
| 2025 | 45.11 in (+5.13) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 68.12 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 19.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHICKASAW NRA (6 mi away) | 12.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,555 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,800 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County, OK | 20 mi | 23% | 3% |
| Garvin County, OK | 21 mi | 30% | 6% |
| Johnston County, OK | 27 mi | 21% | 19% |
| Pontotoc County, OK | 27 mi | 28% | 15% |
| Marshall County, OK | 36 mi | 30% | 1% |
| Love County, OK | 38 mi | 17% | 2% |
| McClain County, OK | 43 mi | 12% | 5% |
| Stephens County, OK | 45 mi | 19% | 2% |
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