Jeff Davis County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13% of Jeff Davis County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
22.3% 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. 26% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Jeff Davis County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 65.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.6% |
| Mapped soil | 1,444,711 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Brewster | 17% | n/a |
| Musquiz | 6% | n/a |
| Liv | 5% | n/a |
| Redona | 5% | n/a |
| Mainstay | 4% | n/a |
| Bigetty | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX243 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.81 in, 0.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.23 in.
USDA rates 65% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 13% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Jeff Davis County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
22.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 7 weeks, most recently on the April 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 69.3% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 22.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Jeff Davis County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 14.23 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.81 in (-0.42) |
| 2025 | 17.19 in (+2.96) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 30.27 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 4.94 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MT LOCKE (11 mi away) | 3.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,531 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 26% |
| Built 2000 or later | 36% |
| Owner-occupied | 88% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $226,200 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Jeff Davis County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valentine | 12% | 0% | 81 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presidio County, TX | 43 mi | 10% | 0% |
| Reeves County, TX | 55 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Culberson County, TX | 60 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Brewster County, TX | 80 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Pecos County, TX | 88 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Ward County, TX | 89 mi | 4% | 0% |
| Hudspeth County, TX | 90 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Loving County, TX | 97 mi | 2% | 4% |
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