Woods County, Oklahoma
USDA's soil survey flags shrink-swell clay on 13% of Woods County's mapped land and a shallow water table under basements on 8%, 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 78% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Woods County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 7.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.8% |
| Mapped soil | 826,317 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Eda | 9% | n/a |
| Burford | 9% | n/a |
| Tivoli | 6% | n/a |
| Knoco | 6% | n/a |
| Devol | 5% | n/a |
| Vernon | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK151 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.22 in, 7.52 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.74 in.
USDA rates 83% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 13% and a shallow water table on 8% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Woods 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 34 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 | 92.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 14.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Woods County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.74 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.22 in (-7.52) |
| 2025 | 33.75 in (+6.01) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 43.30 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 11.96 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAYNOKA (10 mi away) | 8.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,447 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 78% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $139,600 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa County, OK | 30 mi | 8% | 10% |
| Woodward County, OK | 31 mi | 8% | 6% |
| Major County, OK | 34 mi | 13% | 7% |
| Barber County, KS | 36 mi | 21% | 2% |
| Comanche County, KS | 38 mi | 5% | 4% |
| Harper County, OK | 45 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Dewey County, OK | 52 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Harper County, KS | 54 mi | 10% | 12% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status