HomeTexasKenedy County

Kenedy County, Texas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1% of Kenedy County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 39%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 75% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

39%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

75%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Kenedy County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)1.1%
High water table (limits basements)39.1%
Septic fields very limited72.5%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)1.9%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.5%
Mapped soil1,138,784 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Falfurrias11%n/a
Sarita10%n/a
Padrones8%n/a
Palobia6%n/a
Satatton4%n/a
Sauz4%n/a
Willacy County: 18%Kleberg County: 31%Brooks County: 1%Hidalgo County: 12%Cameron County: 29%Nueces County: 56%Jim Wells County: 27%Jim Hogg County: 0%Kenedy County WillacyKlebergBrooksHidalgoCameronNuecesJim WellsJim HoggKenedy
Kenedy County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas TX613 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 39% of Kenedy 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: 22.38 in, 3.76 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 26.14 in.

USDA rates 73% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse68.2%
D3 extreme or worse27.4%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

1 flood losses since 2016, $59,328 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 1.

YearFlood losses
20160
20170
20180
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202026.14 in
12 months to August 202622.38 in (-3.76)
202528.91 in (+2.77)
Wettest year since 18951967: 41.94 in
Driest year since 18951898: 9.91 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SARITA 7 E (23 mi away)8.5

Homes

Housing units127
Median year built1957
Built before 198075%
Built 2000 or later16%
Owner-occupied53%
Single-family detached81%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Willacy County, TX 28 mi 18% 34%
Kleberg County, TX 38 mi 31% 18%
Brooks County, TX 40 mi 1% 9%
Hidalgo County, TX 50 mi 12% 6%
Cameron County, TX 55 mi 29% 26%
Nueces County, TX 59 mi 56% 9%
Jim Wells County, TX 66 mi 27% 19%
Jim Hogg County, TX 72 mi under 1% under 1%

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