Gregg County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9% of Gregg County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 43%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 60 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Gregg County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 42.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 9.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 2.7% |
| Mapped soil | 176,154 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX608 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 43% of Gregg 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: 32.34 in, 15.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.76 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 38 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 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 | 31.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
60 flood losses since 2016, $2.6 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 36. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 93% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 4% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 36 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.76 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.34 in (-15.42) |
| 2025 | 47.16 in (-0.60) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1957: 72.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2005: 28.80 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LONGVIEW (6 mi away) | 16.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 53,883 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 22% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $203,400 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Gregg County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksville City | 9% | 44% | 359 |
| Easton | 12% | 61% | 200 |
| Gladewater | 2% | 32% | 2,449 |
| Kilgore | 3% | 37% | 5,213 |
| Lakeport | 7% | 38% | 439 |
| Longview | 1% | 30% | 36,746 |
| Warren City | 0% | 35% | 125 |
| White Oak | under 1% | 40% | 2,310 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upshur County, TX | 19 mi | 2% | 38% |
| Harrison County, TX | 26 mi | 24% | 53% |
| Rusk County, TX | 26 mi | 15% | 28% |
| Smith County, TX | 28 mi | 3% | 23% |
| Marion County, TX | 34 mi | 4% | 38% |
| Camp County, TX | 35 mi | 9% | 56% |
| Panola County, TX | 37 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Wood County, TX | 39 mi | 18% | 36% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status