Lee County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 48% of Lee County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 25%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 16 flood losses here since 2016. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1992.
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 Lee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 47.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 24.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 48.7% |
| Mapped soil | 404,755 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Padina | 8% | n/a |
| Tabor | 8% | n/a |
| Zack | 6% | n/a |
| Edge | 5% | n/a |
| Silstid | 5% | n/a |
| Uhland | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX287 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.3% by land area here, and 49% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 48% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 48% of Lee County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 25% of Lee 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: 30.74 in, 9.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 39.85 in.
USDA rates 69% 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 52 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
16 flood losses since 2016, $453,007 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 12.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 39.85 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.74 in (-9.11) |
| 2025 | 35.80 in (-4.05) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 62.46 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 17.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FEDOR 3SE (4 mi away) | 11.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,981 |
| Median year built | 1992 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 36% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $267,800 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Lee County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burleson County, TX | 24 mi | 50% | 17% |
| Bastrop County, TX | 25 mi | 52% | 14% |
| Fayette County, TX | 30 mi | 67% | 14% |
| Milam County, TX | 32 mi | 61% | 12% |
| Washington County, TX | 35 mi | 54% | 9% |
| Travis County, TX | 43 mi | 39% | under 1% |
| Williamson County, TX | 44 mi | 60% | 1% |
| Brazos County, TX | 46 mi | 57% | 26% |
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