Childress County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 12% of Childress County's mapped land, a higher share than 59% 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. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1963.
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 Childress County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 57.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.6% |
| Mapped soil | 457,292 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Quanah | 9% | n/a |
| Carey | 8% | n/a |
| Woodward | 8% | n/a |
| Tillman | 6% | 93% |
| Knoco | 6% | n/a |
| Tipton | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX075 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.85 in, 9.39 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.24 in.
USDA rates 57% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 12% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Childress County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 43 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 | 48.8% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Childress County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.24 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.85 in (-9.39) |
| 2025 | 21.07 in (-3.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 43.54 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1970: 12.20 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CHILDRESS MUNI AP (7 mi away) | 5.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,772 |
| Median year built | 1963 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $125,400 |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Childress County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Childress | 0% | 0% | 2,270 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hall County, TX | 21 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Harmon County, OK | 26 mi | 25% | 2% |
| Cottle County, TX | 30 mi | 18% | 2% |
| Hardeman County, TX | 31 mi | 34% | 1% |
| Collingsworth County, TX | 31 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| Foard County, TX | 44 mi | 49% | 1% |
| Jackson County, OK | 46 mi | 35% | 10% |
| Donley County, TX | 46 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