Lynn County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 9% of Lynn County's mapped land, a higher share than 52% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
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. 71% 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 Lynn County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 15.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 4.0% |
| Mapped soil | 571,392 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX305 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.36 in, 7.90 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 19.26 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 9% and a shallow water table on 3% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Lynn 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 46 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 | 82.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $21,727 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 19.26 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.36 in (-7.90) |
| 2025 | 15.50 in (-3.76) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 39.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 5.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TAHOKA (1 mi away) | 5.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,521 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $147,300 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Lynn County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garza County, TX | 30 mi | 32% | 2% |
| Lubbock County, TX | 30 mi | 42% | 4% |
| Terry County, TX | 30 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Dawson County, TX | 31 mi | 4% | 2% |
| Borden County, TX | 38 mi | 38% | 1% |
| Crosby County, TX | 42 mi | 54% | 4% |
| Hockley County, TX | 42 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Gaines County, TX | 56 mi | under 1% | 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