Delta County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 77% of Delta County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties and the 6th highest of 254 Texas counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 15%.
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. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Delta County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 77.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 14.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 78.0% |
| Mapped soil | 177,952 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Leson | 14% | n/a |
| Wilson | 13% | 88% |
| Houston Black | 12% | 91% |
| Trinity | 11% | n/a |
| Kaufman | 10% | n/a |
| Heiden | 5% | 80% |
How we count · survey areas TX614 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.8% by land area here, and 78% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 77% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 77% of Delta County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 33.64 in, 12.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.12 in.
USDA rates 81% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 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 | 72.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Delta County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.12 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 33.64 in (-12.48) |
| 2025 | 47.87 in (+1.75) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 73.18 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 21.18 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SULPHUR SPRINGS (17 mi away) | 14.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,450 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $164,300 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Delta County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hopkins County, TX | 18 mi | 63% | 31% |
| Lamar County, TX | 20 mi | 66% | 31% |
| Fannin County, TX | 29 mi | 66% | 23% |
| Hunt County, TX | 30 mi | 78% | 17% |
| Franklin County, TX | 30 mi | 41% | 45% |
| Rains County, TX | 36 mi | 60% | 34% |
| Red River County, TX | 39 mi | 61% | 40% |
| Titus County, TX | 42 mi | 50% | 50% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status