Houston County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 23% of Houston County's mapped land, a higher share than 73% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 50%.
79.4% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 7 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 Houston County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 22.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 50.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 36.8% |
| Mapped soil | 791,642 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX225 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 37% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 23% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 79.4% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 23% of Houston County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 50% of Houston 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: 37.26 in, 10.09 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.35 in.
USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
79.4% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 21 weeks, most recently on the September 1, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 79.4% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
7 flood losses since 2016, $292,363 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 47.35 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.26 in (-10.09) |
| 2025 | 45.88 in (-1.47) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 70.03 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 24.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CROCKETT (2 mi away) | 15.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 10,837 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 48% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $164,900 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Houston County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity County, TX | 22 mi | 13% | 74% |
| Leon County, TX | 34 mi | 16% | 23% |
| Anderson County, TX | 39 mi | 11% | 20% |
| Madison County, TX | 39 mi | 52% | 48% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 39 mi | 14% | 40% |
| Walker County, TX | 41 mi | 40% | 63% |
| Angelina County, TX | 48 mi | 27% | 44% |
| Freestone County, TX | 50 mi | 37% | 18% |
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