Jim Wells County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of Jim Wells County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 19%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 49% 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 Jim Wells County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 18.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 62.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 25.7% |
| Mapped soil | 556,083 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Opelika | 13% | n/a |
| Delfina | 11% | n/a |
| Lattas | 10% | n/a |
| Pernitas | 7% | n/a |
| Runge | 6% | n/a |
| Czar | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX249 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.9% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Jim Wells County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 19% of Jim Wells 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: 21.38 in, 4.68 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.06 in.
USDA rates 62% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 37 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 | 1.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
20 flood losses since 2016, $79,316 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 12.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 26.06 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.38 in (-4.68) |
| 2025 | 19.38 in (-6.68) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 47.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 9.45 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at KINGSVILLE (20 mi away) | 9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 16,229 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $123,600 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Jim Wells County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice | 49% | 14% | 7,016 |
| Orange Grove | 82% | under 1% | 492 |
| Premont | 49% | 24% | 1,276 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duval County, TX | 25 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Kleberg County, TX | 33 mi | 31% | 18% |
| Nueces County, TX | 35 mi | 56% | 9% |
| San Patricio County, TX | 40 mi | 58% | 14% |
| Live Oak County, TX | 43 mi | 29% | under 1% |
| Brooks County, TX | 49 mi | 1% | 9% |
| Bee County, TX | 52 mi | 25% | 11% |
| McMullen County, TX | 54 mi | 35% | under 1% |
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