Carson County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 55% of Carson County's mapped land, a higher share than 93% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%.
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. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1959.
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 Carson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 55.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 51.5% |
| Mapped soil | 591,072 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pullman | 23% | 100% |
| Pantex | 20% | n/a |
| Mobeetie | 8% | n/a |
| Estacado | 7% | n/a |
| Manson | 6% | n/a |
| Paloduro | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX065 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% by land area here, and 52% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 55% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 55% of Carson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.78 in, 8.84 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.62 in.
USDA rates 60% 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 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 | 72.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 4.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Carson County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 20.62 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.78 in (-8.84) |
| 2025 | 23.57 in (+2.95) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 39.84 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 8.67 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BORGER (18 mi away) | 5.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,810 |
| Median year built | 1959 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $143,000 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Carson County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groom | 93% | 29% | 255 |
| Panhandle | over 99% | 8% | 1,286 |
| Skellytown | 45% | 0% | 263 |
| White Deer | 99% | 2% | 499 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson County, TX | 30 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Potter County, TX | 30 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Armstrong County, TX | 31 mi | 45% | 6% |
| Gray County, TX | 31 mi | 31% | 4% |
| Roberts County, TX | 42 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Moore County, TX | 42 mi | 46% | 2% |
| Randall County, TX | 43 mi | 66% | 7% |
| Donley County, TX | 44 mi | 4% | 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