Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 33% of Pawnee County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 22%.
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. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Pawnee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 32.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 21.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.4% |
| Mapped soil | 380,711 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Grainola | 8% | n/a |
| Renfrow | 7% | n/a |
| Lucien | 6% | n/a |
| Agra | 5% | n/a |
| Coyle | 5% | n/a |
| Norge | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK117 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% by land area here, and 35% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 33% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 33% of Pawnee County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 22% of Pawnee County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 37.79 in, 0.54 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.33 in.
USDA rates 76% 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 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 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 | 43.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $9,035 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.33 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.79 in (-0.54) |
| 2025 | 42.45 in (+4.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1908: 57.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 18.83 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAWNEE (7 mi away) | 11.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,326 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $131,500 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 | 22 mi | 25% | 7% |
| Osage County, OK | 27 mi | 41% | 40% |
| Noble County, OK | 30 mi | 38% | 1% |
| Creek County, OK | 33 mi | 27% | 38% |
| Kay County, OK | 43 mi | 59% | 19% |
| Lincoln County, OK | 43 mi | 27% | 10% |
| Tulsa County, OK | 44 mi | 47% | 52% |
| Logan County, OK | 50 mi | 21% | 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