Coke County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11% of Coke County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 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. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Coke County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 15.8% |
| Mapped soil | 593,773 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX081 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 16.81 in, 5.30 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.11 in.
USDA rates 73% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 11% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Coke 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 19 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 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 | 41.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Coke County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.11 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 16.81 in (-5.30) |
| 2025 | 20.48 in (-1.63) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 40.05 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 8.20 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WATER VALLEY 11 NNE (4 mi away) | 6.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,144 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $117,900 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Coke County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronte | 23% | under 1% | 516 |
| Robert Lee | 25% | under 1% | 650 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling County, TX | 25 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Nolan County, TX | 33 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Mitchell County, TX | 34 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| Tom Green County, TX | 35 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Runnels County, TX | 38 mi | 42% | 1% |
| Irion County, TX | 45 mi | 21% | under 1% |
| Glasscock County, TX | 52 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Taylor County, TX | 52 mi | 45% | under 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