Gray County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of Gray County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
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 Gray County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 62.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 30.5% |
| Mapped soil | 595,289 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX179 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.5% by land area here, and 31% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 31% of Gray County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.44 in, 10.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.72 in.
USDA rates 62% 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 | 93.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Gray County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.72 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.44 in (-10.28) |
| 2025 | 22.52 in (-0.20) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 40.39 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 11.42 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PAMPA #2 (14 mi away) | 5.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,952 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $102,900 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Gray County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts County, TX | 30 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Carson County, TX | 31 mi | 55% | 7% |
| Donley County, TX | 31 mi | 4% | 1% |
| Wheeler County, TX | 32 mi | 1% | 2% |
| Hemphill County, TX | 41 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Collingsworth County, TX | 43 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| Hutchinson County, TX | 43 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Armstrong County, TX | 43 mi | 45% | 6% |
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