Wheeler County, Oregon
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of Wheeler County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties and the 8th highest of 35 Oregon counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
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 1975.
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 Wheeler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.5% |
| Mapped soil | 1,100,199 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Normauk | 4% | n/a |
| Lickskillet | 4% | n/a |
| Gwinly | 4% | n/a |
| Simas | 3% | n/a |
| Ateron | 3% | n/a |
| Exfo | 3% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Wheeler County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.66 in, 3.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.56 in.
USDA rates 99% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 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 | 75.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.66 in (-3.90) |
| 2025 | 13.68 in (-1.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1948: 24.58 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1939: 9.73 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MITCHELL 2 E (12 mi away) | 0.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 908 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $272,400 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crook County, OR | 43 mi | n/a | n/a |
| Gilliam County, OR | 46 mi | 3% | under 1% |
| Morrow County, OR | 52 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Grant County, OR | 53 mi | 15% | 4% |
| Sherman County, OR | 56 mi | 0% | 1% |
| Jefferson County, OR | 57 mi | 29% | 1% |
| Wasco County, OR | 63 mi | 15% | 2% |
| Deschutes County, OR | 82 mi | 9% | 5% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status