Bosque County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Bosque County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% 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 11 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Bosque County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.3% |
| Mapped soil | 641,337 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX035 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Bosque County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 27.99 in, 7.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.85 in.
USDA rates 72% 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 28 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 8 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 | 9.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $1.1 million paid. The worst year was 2024, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.99 in (-7.86) |
| 2025 | 37.85 in (+2.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 56.35 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 17.58 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CRANFILLS GAP (14 mi away) | 10 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,348 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $200,900 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Bosque County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton | 33% | 0% | 1,487 |
| Cranfills Gap | 48% | 0% | 122 |
| Iredell | 11% | 5% | 166 |
| Meridian | 36% | 0% | 731 |
| Morgan | 43% | 0% | 231 |
| Valley Mills | 23% | 0% | 491 |
| Walnut Springs | 64% | 0% | 398 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somervell County, TX | 23 mi | 13% | 4% |
| Hill County, TX | 30 mi | 53% | 2% |
| Hamilton County, TX | 31 mi | 31% | under 1% |
| McLennan County, TX | 35 mi | 56% | under 1% |
| Coryell County, TX | 37 mi | 26% | under 1% |
| Johnson County, TX | 37 mi | 51% | 4% |
| Hood County, TX | 38 mi | 18% | 9% |
| Erath County, TX | 41 mi | 20% | 6% |
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