King County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13% of King County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. 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. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 King County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.3% |
| Mapped soil | 584,948 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Talpa | 12% | n/a |
| Cottonwood | 9% | n/a |
| Knoco | 9% | n/a |
| Woodward | 8% | n/a |
| Deepwood | 8% | n/a |
| Carey | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX269 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.51 in, 12.00 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.51 in.
USDA rates 67% 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 King 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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 48 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 | 99.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 8% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in King County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.51 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.51 in (-12.00) |
| 2025 | 23.13 in (-0.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 42.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 8.77 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GUTHRIE (5 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 189 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 60% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $52,100 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, TX | 30 mi | 27% | 1% |
| Stonewall County, TX | 30 mi | 19% | under 1% |
| Dickens County, TX | 31 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Cottle County, TX | 33 mi | 18% | 2% |
| Foard County, TX | 34 mi | 49% | 1% |
| Kent County, TX | 42 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Haskell County, TX | 42 mi | 59% | 2% |
| Motley County, TX | 44 mi | 7% | 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