Pontotoc County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28% of Pontotoc County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 flood losses here since 2016. 54% 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 Pontotoc County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 15.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.1% |
| Mapped soil | 464,474 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Verdigris | 10% | n/a |
| Shidler | 8% | n/a |
| Stephenville | 7% | 0% |
| Newalla | 6% | n/a |
| Darnell | 6% | n/a |
| Chigley | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK123 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.0% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 28% of Pontotoc County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 15% of Pontotoc 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: 34.23 in, 8.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 42.65 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 47 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 | 45.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $598,483 paid. The worst year was 2025, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 42.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.23 in (-8.42) |
| 2025 | 46.16 in (+3.51) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 73.51 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 21.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PONTOTOC 1N (15 mi away) | 14.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 17,531 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,400 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal County, OK | 25 mi | 54% | 71% |
| Murray County, OK | 27 mi | 29% | 7% |
| Johnston County, OK | 28 mi | 21% | 19% |
| Seminole County, OK | 31 mi | 17% | 25% |
| Hughes County, OK | 34 mi | 31% | 43% |
| Garvin County, OK | 35 mi | 30% | 6% |
| Pottawatomie County, OK | 37 mi | 23% | 6% |
| Atoka County, OK | 44 mi | 45% | 36% |
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