Bee County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of Bee County's mapped land, a higher share than 75% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 11%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 24 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 54% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Bee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 24.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 10.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.3% |
| Mapped soil | 563,450 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Orelia | 16% | n/a |
| Weesatche | 15% | n/a |
| Papalote | 11% | n/a |
| Pernitas | 7% | n/a |
| Blanconia | 7% | n/a |
| Parrita | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX025 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Bee County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 27.61 in, 3.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.96 in.
USDA rates 67% 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 39 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
24 flood losses since 2016, $87,770 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 19. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 90% slabs, 10% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.61 in (-3.35) |
| 2025 | 25.90 in (-5.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 47.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 10.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BEEVILLE 5 NE (4 mi away) | 8.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,650 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $111,300 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Bee County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beeville | 40% | 9% | 5,676 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak County, TX | 24 mi | 29% | under 1% |
| Goliad County, TX | 25 mi | 24% | 21% |
| San Patricio County, TX | 31 mi | 58% | 14% |
| Karnes County, TX | 35 mi | 52% | under 1% |
| Refugio County, TX | 36 mi | 54% | 15% |
| Nueces County, TX | 49 mi | 56% | 9% |
| McMullen County, TX | 51 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Aransas County, TX | 51 mi | 18% | 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