Frio County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10% of Frio County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 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. 40% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Frio County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 9.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 55.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 11.9% |
| Mapped soil | 725,004 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Duval | 22% | n/a |
| Webb | 10% | n/a |
| Zavco | 6% | n/a |
| Hindes | 6% | n/a |
| Caid | 4% | n/a |
| Uvalde | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX163 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.93 in, 2.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.21 in.
USDA rates 55% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Frio 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 36 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 | 83.3% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Frio County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.21 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.93 in (-2.28) |
| 2025 | 15.84 in (-8.37) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 43.34 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 7.85 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PEARSALL (2 mi away) | 8.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,393 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 40% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 59% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $107,700 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Frio County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medina County, TX | 33 mi | 33% | under 1% |
| Atascosa County, TX | 35 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| La Salle County, TX | 36 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Zavala County, TX | 39 mi | 28% | under 1% |
| McMullen County, TX | 46 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Dimmit County, TX | 50 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Uvalde County, TX | 52 mi | 23% | under 1% |
| Bexar County, TX | 54 mi | 51% | under 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