Atascosa County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Atascosa County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 35% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1993.
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 Atascosa County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 33.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.5% |
| Mapped soil | 779,648 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Floresville | 8% | n/a |
| Monteola | 8% | n/a |
| Hanis | 6% | n/a |
| Poth | 6% | n/a |
| Wilco | 6% | n/a |
| Webb | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX013 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Atascosa County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 23.72 in, 3.72 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.44 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 48 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $79,255 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.44 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 23.72 in (-3.72) |
| 2025 | 16.60 in (-10.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2007: 47.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 9.01 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PLEASANTON (6 mi away) | 10.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,214 |
| Median year built | 1993 |
| Built before 1980 | 35% |
| Built 2000 or later | 37% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $174,800 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Atascosa County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 58% | under 1% | 605 |
| Christine | 39% | under 1% | 159 |
| Jourdanton | 65% | under 1% | 1,776 |
| Lytle | 30% | under 1% | 998 |
| Pleasanton | 8% | under 1% | 4,113 |
| Poteet | 71% | under 1% | 1,105 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County, TX | 33 mi | 36% | 2% |
| Frio County, TX | 35 mi | 10% | under 1% |
| McMullen County, TX | 35 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Bexar County, TX | 39 mi | 51% | under 1% |
| Karnes County, TX | 41 mi | 52% | under 1% |
| Live Oak County, TX | 45 mi | 29% | under 1% |
| Medina County, TX | 47 mi | 33% | under 1% |
| La Salle County, TX | 51 mi | 35% | under 1% |
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