Lamb County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 14% of Lamb County's mapped land, a higher share than 61% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, after 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Lamb County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 13.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 26.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 12.8% |
| Mapped soil | 651,316 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX279 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.31 in, 7.24 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.55 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 14% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lamb County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| 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 Lamb County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 18.55 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.31 in (-7.24) |
| 2025 | 18.55 in (+0.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 41.43 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 8.34 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at OLTON (14 mi away) | 4.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,885 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $82,400 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Lamb County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 1% | 1% | 296 |
| Earth | 9% | 4% | 499 |
| Littlefield | 21% | 3% | 2,766 |
| Olton | 62% | 7% | 702 |
| Springlake | 37% | under 1% | 51 |
| Sudan | 0% | 0% | 507 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey County, TX | 28 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Hale County, TX | 30 mi | 83% | 7% |
| Hockley County, TX | 32 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Castro County, TX | 32 mi | 82% | 5% |
| Parmer County, TX | 41 mi | 61% | 2% |
| Cochran County, TX | 42 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Lubbock County, TX | 44 mi | 42% | 4% |
| Swisher County, TX | 47 mi | 87% | 10% |
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