Ellis County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 72% of Ellis County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 66 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 22% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 2002.
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 Ellis County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 72.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 9.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 62.2% |
| Mapped soil | 609,069 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Black | 19% | 91% |
| Heiden | 15% | 80% |
| Trinity | 10% | n/a |
| Austin | 9% | 93% |
| Eddy | 9% | 0% |
| Branyon | 6% | 92% |
How we count · survey areas TX139 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 9.4% by land area here, and 62% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 72% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 72% of Ellis County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.72 in, 10.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.08 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 33 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 9 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 | 69.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
66 flood losses since 2016, $4.8 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 37. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 93% slabs, 7% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 11 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.08 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.72 in (-10.36) |
| 2025 | 41.20 in (+1.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 66.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 20.36 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BARDWELL DAM (11 mi away) | 12.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 75,422 |
| Median year built | 2002 |
| Built before 1980 | 22% |
| Built 2000 or later | 54% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $348,600 |
| Single-family detached | 78% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Ellis County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alma | 86% | 1% | 203 |
| Bardwell | 81% | 0% | 300 |
| Ennis | 86% | 5% | 8,646 |
| Ferris | 81% | under 1% | 1,102 |
| Garrett | 88% | under 1% | 362 |
| Italy | 70% | 0% | 821 |
| Maypearl | 83% | 7% | 343 |
| Midlothian | 44% | under 1% | 13,373 |
| Milford | 80% | under 1% | 398 |
| Oak Leaf | 77% | under 1% | 588 |
| Ovilla | 56% | under 1% | 1,532 |
| Palmer | 83% | under 1% | 848 |
| Pecan Hill | 78% | under 1% | 285 |
| Red Oak | 81% | under 1% | 5,540 |
| Waxahachie | 73% | under 1% | 16,840 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navarro County, TX | 28 mi | 75% | 8% |
| Dallas County, TX | 29 mi | 51% | 6% |
| Hill County, TX | 32 mi | 53% | 2% |
| Johnson County, TX | 33 mi | 51% | 4% |
| Kaufman County, TX | 35 mi | 73% | 16% |
| Tarrant County, TX | 41 mi | 41% | 4% |
| Rockwall County, TX | 44 mi | 72% | 2% |
| Henderson County, TX | 56 mi | 25% | 25% |
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