Live Oak County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Live Oak County's mapped land, a higher share than 79% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Live Oak County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 28.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 49.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.9% |
| Mapped soil | 690,643 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pernitas | 14% | n/a |
| Weesatche | 14% | n/a |
| Sarnosa | 8% | n/a |
| Olmedo | 5% | n/a |
| Eloso | 5% | n/a |
| Buchel | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX297 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 28% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 29% of Live Oak County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.32 in, 5.18 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.50 in.
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 38 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 | 16% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.32 in (-5.18) |
| 2025 | 19.73 in (-7.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 45.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 8.66 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at GEORGE W 2 SSW (3 mi away) | 7.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,996 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $159,200 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Live Oak County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| George West | 29% | 0% | 1,175 |
| Three Rivers | 61% | under 1% | 848 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bee County, TX | 24 mi | 25% | 11% |
| McMullen County, TX | 28 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Karnes County, TX | 42 mi | 52% | under 1% |
| Jim Wells County, TX | 43 mi | 27% | 19% |
| San Patricio County, TX | 44 mi | 58% | 14% |
| Atascosa County, TX | 45 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| Goliad County, TX | 47 mi | 24% | 21% |
| Duval County, TX | 52 mi | 4% | 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