Hopkins County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 63% of Hopkins County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 31%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Hopkins County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 62.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.4% |
| Mapped soil | 507,194 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX610 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.6% by land area here, and 65% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 63% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 63% of Hopkins County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 31% of Hopkins 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: 31.49 in, 14.27 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.76 in.
USDA rates 82% 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 48 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 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 | 94.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 56.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $77,188 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.76 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.49 in (-14.27) |
| 2025 | 45.33 in (-0.43) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 72.18 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 22.78 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SULPHUR SPRINGS (4 mi away) | 14.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 15,882 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $221,100 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Hopkins County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Como | 85% | 21% | 260 |
| Cumby | 90% | under 1% | 304 |
| Sulphur Springs | 65% | 38% | 6,858 |
| Tira | 77% | 33% | 191 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta County, TX | 18 mi | 77% | 15% |
| Franklin County, TX | 20 mi | 41% | 45% |
| Rains County, TX | 23 mi | 60% | 34% |
| Wood County, TX | 27 mi | 18% | 36% |
| Hunt County, TX | 30 mi | 78% | 17% |
| Titus County, TX | 35 mi | 50% | 50% |
| Lamar County, TX | 36 mi | 66% | 31% |
| Camp County, TX | 36 mi | 9% | 56% |
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