Dickens County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 11% of Dickens County's mapped land, a higher share than 58% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 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. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1962.
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 Dickens County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 11.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 64.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.5% |
| Mapped soil | 580,186 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX125 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.76 in, 11.80 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.56 in.
USDA rates 64% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 11% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Dickens 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 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 46 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 | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 42.9% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Dickens County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.76 in (-11.80) |
| 2025 | 21.76 in (-0.80) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 40.92 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 7.57 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SPUR (11 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,151 |
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $65,300 |
| Single-family detached | 95% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Dickens County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby County, TX | 29 mi | 54% | 4% |
| Kent County, TX | 30 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Motley County, TX | 31 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| King County, TX | 31 mi | 13% | under 1% |
| Garza County, TX | 42 mi | 32% | 2% |
| Stonewall County, TX | 43 mi | 19% | under 1% |
| Floyd County, TX | 43 mi | 84% | 10% |
| Cottle County, TX | 44 mi | 18% | 2% |
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