Cherokee County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14% of Cherokee County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 40%.
98.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 34 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
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 Cherokee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.2% |
| Mapped soil | 679,559 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Sacul | 14% | 73% |
| Bowie | 9% | 0% |
| Nacogdoches | 8% | 0% |
| Darco | 8% | n/a |
| Trawick | 8% | n/a |
| Lilbert | 8% | 0% |
How we count · survey areas TX073 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
On 40% of Cherokee County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 31.74 in, 15.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.65 in.
USDA rates 77% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
98.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 98.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 25.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
34 flood losses since 2016, $291,388 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 19.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 19 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.74 in (-15.91) |
| 2025 | 46.33 in (-1.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 69.69 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 26.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RUSK (3 mi away) | 15.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,053 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $169,300 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Cherokee County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alto | under 1% | 33% | 538 |
| Cuney | 0% | 10% | 57 |
| Gallatin | 4% | 46% | 142 |
| Jacksonville | under 1% | 20% | 5,385 |
| New Summerfield | 10% | 25% | 232 |
| Rusk | 1% | 15% | 1,232 |
| Wells | 93% | 28% | 292 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County, TX | 30 mi | 11% | 20% |
| Rusk County, TX | 30 mi | 15% | 28% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 35 mi | 13% | 28% |
| Smith County, TX | 37 mi | 3% | 23% |
| Houston County, TX | 39 mi | 23% | 50% |
| Henderson County, TX | 48 mi | 25% | 25% |
| Gregg County, TX | 49 mi | 9% | 43% |
| Trinity County, TX | 52 mi | 13% | 74% |
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