Goliad County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 24% of Goliad County's mapped land, a higher share than 74% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 21%.
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. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1989.
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 Goliad County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 23.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 20.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 31.7% |
| Mapped soil | 549,536 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Weesatche | 13% | n/a |
| Papalote | 10% | n/a |
| Wyick | 8% | n/a |
| Raisin | 7% | n/a |
| Ander | 6% | n/a |
| Clareville | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX175 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 32% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 24% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 24% of Goliad County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 21% of Goliad County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 28.55 in, 5.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 34.17 in.
USDA rates 69% 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 38 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 Goliad County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.17 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.55 in (-5.62) |
| 2025 | 30.83 in (-3.34) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1981: 52.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 11.13 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at RUNGE (21 mi away) | 9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,547 |
| Median year built | 1989 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 87% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $192,500 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Goliad County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goliad | 29% | 4% | 868 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bee County, TX | 25 mi | 25% | 11% |
| Refugio County, TX | 29 mi | 54% | 15% |
| Victoria County, TX | 29 mi | 65% | 35% |
| DeWitt County, TX | 29 mi | 27% | 17% |
| Karnes County, TX | 31 mi | 52% | under 1% |
| San Patricio County, TX | 45 mi | 58% | 14% |
| Aransas County, TX | 47 mi | 18% | 35% |
| Live Oak County, TX | 47 mi | 29% | 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