Cottle County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 18% of Cottle County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
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. 78% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1960.
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 Cottle County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 8.8% |
| Mapped soil | 576,871 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX101 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.2% by land area here, and 9% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 18% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 18% of Cottle County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.14 in, 11.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.56 in.
USDA rates 69% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 45 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 | 79.5% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 47.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0.3% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Cottle County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.14 in (-11.42) |
| 2025 | 22.15 in (-1.41) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 42.56 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 9.15 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PADUCAH (6 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 930 |
| Median year built | 1960 |
| Built before 1980 | 78% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $59,300 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Cottle County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paducah | 44% | 0% | 701 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foard County, TX | 28 mi | 49% | 1% |
| Childress County, TX | 30 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Motley County, TX | 30 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| Hall County, TX | 30 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| King County, TX | 33 mi | 13% | under 1% |
| Hardeman County, TX | 33 mi | 34% | 1% |
| Dickens County, TX | 44 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Knox County, TX | 46 mi | 27% | 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