Baylor County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 54% of Baylor County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Baylor County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 54.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 44.1% |
| Mapped soil | 576,544 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX023 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 44% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 54% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 54% of Baylor County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 18.31 in, 9.22 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.53 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 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 | 89.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Baylor County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.53 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 18.31 in (-9.22) |
| 2025 | 28.98 in (+1.45) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 47.39 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 11.48 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SEYMOUR 3NW (5 mi away) | 8.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,190 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $103,100 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Baylor County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seymour | 8% | under 1% | 1,658 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer County, TX | 30 mi | 36% | under 1% |
| Knox County, TX | 30 mi | 27% | 1% |
| Throckmorton County, TX | 31 mi | 49% | under 1% |
| Wilbarger County, TX | 32 mi | 41% | under 1% |
| Wichita County, TX | 38 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Foard County, TX | 42 mi | 49% | 1% |
| Haskell County, TX | 43 mi | 59% | 2% |
| Young County, TX | 44 mi | 27% | 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