Concho County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 32% of Concho County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% 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. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Concho County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 32.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.1% |
| Mapped soil | 635,168 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Cho | 16% | n/a |
| Rowena | 11% | n/a |
| Mereta | 10% | n/a |
| Kavett | 10% | n/a |
| Nuvalde | 8% | n/a |
| Angelo | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX095 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 32% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 32% of Concho County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.12 in, 4.01 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.13 in.
USDA rates 76% 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 22 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 | 25% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Concho County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.13 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.12 in (-4.01) |
| 2025 | 25.12 in (-0.01) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 39.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 10.91 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BALLINGER 2 NW (30 mi away) | 6.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,414 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 81% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,400 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Concho County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eden | 36% | 0% | 489 |
| Paint Rock | 29% | 0% | 122 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menard County, TX | 30 mi | 12% | 0% |
| McCulloch County, TX | 31 mi | 29% | under 1% |
| Tom Green County, TX | 36 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Runnels County, TX | 37 mi | 42% | 1% |
| Schleicher County, TX | 49 mi | 32% | 0% |
| Coleman County, TX | 51 mi | 48% | 0% |
| Mason County, TX | 56 mi | 15% | 0% |
| Kimble County, TX | 58 mi | 6% | 0% |
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