Loving County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2% of Loving County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.
46.2% 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. 73% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1939 or earlier.
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 Loving County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 2.4% |
| Mapped soil | 433,197 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Wickett | 17% | n/a |
| Sharvana | 16% | n/a |
| Splotter | 9% | n/a |
| Tencee | 9% | n/a |
| Pyote | 9% | n/a |
| Blakeney | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX615 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.04 in, 2.53 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 11.57 in.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on 4% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Loving County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
46.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 26 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 46.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 2.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Loving County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 11.57 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 9.04 in (-2.53) |
| 2025 | 10.36 in (-1.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 25.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 2.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINKLER CO AP (17 mi away) | 2.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 33 |
| Median year built | 1939 or earlier |
| Built before 1980 | 73% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 11% |
| Single-family detached | 76% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winkler County, TX | 29 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Ward County, TX | 34 mi | 4% | 0% |
| Reeves County, TX | 43 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Ector County, TX | 53 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Andrews County, TX | 56 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Crane County, TX | 61 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Lea County, NM | 63 mi | 4% | under 1% |
| Eddy County, NM | 64 mi | 2% | 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