Martin County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7% of Martin County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
100% 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. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 Martin County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 27.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 5.1% |
| Mapped soil | 584,832 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | 36% | 0% |
| Midessa | 10% | n/a |
| Kimbrough | 7% | n/a |
| Portales | 6% | n/a |
| Slaughter | 5% | n/a |
| Gomez | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX317 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.79 in, 4.97 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 15.76 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 7% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Martin 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 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 | 99% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Martin County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 15.76 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.79 in (-4.97) |
| 2025 | 11.48 in (-4.28) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 33.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 4.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LENORAH (5 mi away) | 4.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,135 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 29% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $174,800 |
| Single-family detached | 70% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Martin County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County, TX | 30 mi | 4% | 2% |
| Howard County, TX | 31 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Midland County, TX | 34 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Andrews County, TX | 40 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Glasscock County, TX | 40 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Borden County, TX | 43 mi | 38% | 1% |
| Ector County, TX | 46 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Gaines County, TX | 49 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