Medina County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 33% of Medina County's mapped land, a higher share than 83% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
95.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 20 flood losses here since 2016. 29% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1996.
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 Medina County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 32.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 68.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.9% |
| Mapped soil | 855,488 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Eckrant | 8% | 8% |
| Knippa | 6% | n/a |
| Castroville | 5% | n/a |
| Montell | 5% | n/a |
| Olmos | 4% | n/a |
| Divot | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX325 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.1% by land area here, and 30% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 33% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 95.8% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 33% of Medina County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 31.87 in, 3.40 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 28.47 in.
USDA rates 68% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
95.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 27 weeks, most recently on the April 21, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 95.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 67.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 9.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
20 flood losses since 2016, $269,928 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 10.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 28.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.87 in (+3.40) |
| 2025 | 20.29 in (-8.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2007: 48.37 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 11.32 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HONDO MUNI AP (4 mi away) | 7.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 19,890 |
| Median year built | 1996 |
| Built before 1980 | 29% |
| Built 2000 or later | 42% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $239,600 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Medina County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castroville | 60% | under 1% | 1,310 |
| Devine | 16% | under 1% | 1,859 |
| Hondo | 70% | under 1% | 2,864 |
| LaCoste | 76% | 1% | 553 |
| Natalia | 10% | under 1% | 401 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandera County, TX | 29 mi | 17% | 0% |
| Frio County, TX | 33 mi | 10% | under 1% |
| Bexar County, TX | 36 mi | 51% | under 1% |
| Uvalde County, TX | 40 mi | 23% | under 1% |
| Atascosa County, TX | 47 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| Kendall County, TX | 47 mi | 23% | 0% |
| Kerr County, TX | 51 mi | 33% | under 1% |
| Zavala County, TX | 52 mi | 28% | 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