Milam County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 61% of Milam County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 12%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Milam County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 61.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 12.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 75.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 53.7% |
| Mapped soil | 653,286 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX331 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.0% by land area here, and 54% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 61% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 61% of Milam County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 30.56 in, 7.48 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.04 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 41 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 10% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $48,347 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.04 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.56 in (-7.48) |
| 2025 | 35.16 in (-2.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2004: 56.22 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 17.89 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DAVILLA 2N (17 mi away) | 12 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,641 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $189,800 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Milam County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burleson County, TX | 30 mi | 50% | 17% |
| Falls County, TX | 32 mi | 72% | 2% |
| Robertson County, TX | 32 mi | 31% | 19% |
| Lee County, TX | 32 mi | 48% | 25% |
| Bell County, TX | 34 mi | 55% | 1% |
| Williamson County, TX | 38 mi | 60% | 1% |
| Brazos County, TX | 42 mi | 57% | 26% |
| Bastrop County, TX | 52 mi | 52% | 14% |
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