Borden County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 38% of Borden County's mapped land, a higher share than 86% of US 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Borden County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 37.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.4% |
| Mapped soil | 580,295 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX033 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% 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 38% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 38% of Borden County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.27 in, 9.14 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 19.41 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 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 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 | 0.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Borden County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 19.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.27 in (-9.14) |
| 2025 | 15.29 in (-4.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 36.53 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 5.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GAIL (3 mi away) | 6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 368 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $108,900 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, TX | 30 mi | 4% | 2% |
| Howard County, TX | 30 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Scurry County, TX | 31 mi | 19% | 1% |
| Garza County, TX | 32 mi | 32% | 2% |
| Lynn County, TX | 38 mi | 9% | 3% |
| Mitchell County, TX | 42 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| Martin County, TX | 43 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Kent County, TX | 50 mi | 12% | 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