DeWitt County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of DeWitt County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 17%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 30 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 DeWitt County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 17.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.0% |
| Mapped soil | 582,681 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Sarnosa | 15% | n/a |
| Tremona | 11% | n/a |
| Leming | 7% | n/a |
| Papalote | 7% | n/a |
| Meguin | 4% | n/a |
| Weesatche | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX123 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of DeWitt County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 17% of DeWitt County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 25.48 in, 9.94 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 35.42 in.
USDA rates 79% 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 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
30 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 27. Median water depth outside the building: 34.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 27 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 35.42 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 25.48 in (-9.94) |
| 2025 | 27.56 in (-7.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 54.21 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 13.96 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CUERO (1 mi away) | 11.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,238 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $170,900 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in DeWitt County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzales County, TX | 27 mi | 55% | 5% |
| Goliad County, TX | 29 mi | 24% | 21% |
| Victoria County, TX | 31 mi | 65% | 35% |
| Karnes County, TX | 32 mi | 52% | under 1% |
| Lavaca County, TX | 34 mi | 48% | 37% |
| Wilson County, TX | 44 mi | 36% | 2% |
| Jackson County, TX | 48 mi | 67% | 24% |
| Guadalupe County, TX | 49 mi | 52% | 8% |
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