Glasscock County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17% of Glasscock County's mapped land, a higher share than 67% 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. 48% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Glasscock County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 17.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.2% |
| Mapped soil | 576,813 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX173 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.5% by land area here, and 17% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 17% of Glasscock County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.33 in, 3.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.31 in.
USDA rates 77% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Glasscock County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.31 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.33 in (-3.98) |
| 2025 | 15.14 in (-2.17) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 33.74 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 5.70 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BIG SPRING (26 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 513 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $245,200 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling County, TX | 27 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Midland County, TX | 28 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Howard County, TX | 30 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Reagan County, TX | 34 mi | 15% | 1% |
| Martin County, TX | 40 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Mitchell County, TX | 46 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| Upton County, TX | 47 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Irion County, TX | 50 mi | 21% | 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