Jim Hogg County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1% of Jim Hogg County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
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. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.
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 Jim Hogg County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 35.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.4% |
| Mapped soil | 727,155 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Nueces | 18% | n/a |
| Delmita | 17% | n/a |
| Sarita | 12% | n/a |
| Falfurrias | 8% | n/a |
| Comitas | 8% | n/a |
| Randado | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX247 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 15.29 in, 7.69 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.98 in.
With shrink-swell clay on under 1% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Jim Hogg County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 | 64.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 28.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Jim Hogg County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.98 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 15.29 in (-7.69) |
| 2025 | 16.87 in (-6.11) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1973: 42.90 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 8.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HEBBRONVILLE (19 mi away) | 6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,872 |
| Median year built | 1977 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 56% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $129,400 |
| Single-family detached | 79% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zapata County, TX | 27 mi | 17% | under 1% |
| Brooks County, TX | 33 mi | 1% | 9% |
| Starr County, TX | 36 mi | 14% | 1% |
| Duval County, TX | 46 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 57 mi | 12% | 6% |
| Webb County, TX | 60 mi | 33% | under 1% |
| Jim Wells County, TX | 62 mi | 27% | 19% |
| Kleberg County, TX | 72 mi | 31% | 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