Madison County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 52% of Madison County's mapped land, a higher share than 92% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 48%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses here since 2016. 42% 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 Madison County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 52.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 48.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 67.3% |
| Mapped soil | 302,451 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rader | 14% | 30% |
| Zulch | 11% | n/a |
| Zack | 10% | n/a |
| Gowker | 9% | n/a |
| Gredge | 7% | n/a |
| Boonville | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX313 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.9% by land area here, and 67% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 52% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 52% of Madison County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 48% of Madison 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: 34.38 in, 9.96 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.34 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 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 | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
8 flood losses since 2016, $236,345 paid. The worst year was 2018, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.34 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.38 in (-9.96) |
| 2025 | 41.32 in (-3.02) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 63.22 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 19.72 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MADISONVILLE (2 mi away) | 15.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,107 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $176,200 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Madison County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madisonville | 79% | 31% | 1,921 |
| Midway | 91% | 10% | 128 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon County, TX | 23 mi | 16% | 23% |
| Walker County, TX | 26 mi | 40% | 63% |
| Grimes County, TX | 29 mi | 61% | 40% |
| Brazos County, TX | 31 mi | 57% | 26% |
| Robertson County, TX | 35 mi | 31% | 19% |
| Houston County, TX | 39 mi | 23% | 50% |
| Trinity County, TX | 47 mi | 13% | 74% |
| Freestone County, TX | 52 mi | 37% | 18% |
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