Donley County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 4% of Donley County's mapped land. 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. 67% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
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 Donley County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 3.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 45.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.6% |
| Mapped soil | 597,344 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Miles | 19% | 0% |
| Mobeetie | 14% | n/a |
| Veal | 7% | n/a |
| Obaro | 7% | n/a |
| Springer | 7% | n/a |
| Potter | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX129 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.55 in, 8.49 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.04 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 4% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Donley 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 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 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 | 80.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 57.2% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Donley County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.04 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.55 in (-8.49) |
| 2025 | 22.09 in (+0.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 38.38 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1970: 9.08 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CLARENDON (4 mi away) | 5.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,951 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 67% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $96,400 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Donley County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarendon | 5% | 3% | 820 |
| Hedley | 4% | under 1% | 225 |
| Howardwick | 4% | under 1% | 344 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong County, TX | 31 mi | 45% | 6% |
| Collingsworth County, TX | 31 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| Gray County, TX | 31 mi | 31% | 4% |
| Briscoe County, TX | 37 mi | 40% | 8% |
| Hall County, TX | 37 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Carson County, TX | 44 mi | 55% | 7% |
| Wheeler County, TX | 44 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Childress County, TX | 46 mi | 12% | 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