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Anderson County, Texas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11% of Anderson County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 20%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

11%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

20%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

41%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Anderson County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)11.0%
High water table (limits basements)20.4%
Septic fields very limited65.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)14.3%
Mapped soil690,925 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Lilbert14%0%
Darco12%n/a
Kirvin11%n/a
Trawick5%n/a
Sacul5%73%
Kaufman4%n/a
Henderson County: 25%Cherokee County: 14%Freestone County: 37%Houston County: 23%Leon County: 16%Smith County: 3%Navarro County: 75%Van Zandt County: 46%Anderson County HendersonCherokeeFreestoneHoustonLeonSmithNavarroVan ZandtAnderson
Anderson County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas TX001 (2025-09-04)

What the numbers mean here

On 20% of Anderson 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: 30.91 in, 14.21 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.12 in.

USDA rates 65% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

13 flood losses since 2016, $222,180 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 7.

YearFlood losses
20167
20170
20180
20192
20200
20210
20220
20230
20242
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202045.12 in
12 months to August 202630.91 in (-14.21)
202545.23 in (+0.11)
Wettest year since 18952015: 64.50 in
Driest year since 18951963: 23.88 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PALESTINE 2 NE (5 mi away)16.1

Homes

Housing units20,648
Median year built1985
Built before 198041%
Built 2000 or later31%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$185,300
Single-family detached66%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Cities in Anderson County

CityExpansive clayHigh water tableHomes
Elkhart10%66%606
Frankston0%25%540
Palestineunder 1%14%7,743

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Henderson County, TX 28 mi 25% 25%
Cherokee County, TX 30 mi 14% 40%
Freestone County, TX 30 mi 37% 18%
Houston County, TX 39 mi 23% 50%
Leon County, TX 42 mi 16% 23%
Smith County, TX 43 mi 3% 23%
Navarro County, TX 50 mi 75% 8%
Van Zandt County, TX 51 mi 46% 35%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status