Matagorda County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 62% of Matagorda County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 28%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 83.6% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 604 flood losses here since 2016, 1% of them in buildings with basements. 52% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Matagorda County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 61.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 27.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 61.9% |
| Mapped soil | 888,173 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX321 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.1% by land area here, and 62% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 62% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 62% of Matagorda County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 28% of Matagorda 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: 37.96 in, 7.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.39 in.
USDA rates 67% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 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 | 4.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
604 flood losses since 2016, $13.7 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 304. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 1% basements, 51% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 45% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 13 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 304 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 70 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 81 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 123 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.39 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.96 in (-7.43) |
| 2025 | 37.81 in (-7.58) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1900: 65.76 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 17.80 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PALACIOS MUNI AP (16 mi away) | 12.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,058 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 52% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $172,900 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Matagorda County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wharton County, TX | 37 mi | 68% | 32% |
| Jackson County, TX | 38 mi | 67% | 24% |
| Calhoun County, TX | 42 mi | 33% | 31% |
| Brazoria County, TX | 44 mi | 64% | 44% |
| Fort Bend County, TX | 54 mi | 64% | 42% |
| Victoria County, TX | 59 mi | 65% | 35% |
| Colorado County, TX | 64 mi | 37% | 24% |
| Lavaca County, TX | 70 mi | 48% | 37% |
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