Mitchell County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 34% of Mitchell County's mapped land, a higher share than 84% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 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. 78% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1961.
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 Mitchell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 34.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 62.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.3% |
| Mapped soil | 585,248 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Miles | 17% | 0% |
| Stamford | 12% | n/a |
| Angelo | 9% | n/a |
| Vernon | 7% | n/a |
| Dermott | 5% | n/a |
| Spade | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX335 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 27% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 34% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 34% of Mitchell County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.38 in, 7.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.49 in.
USDA rates 62% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 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 | 41.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Mitchell County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 20.49 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.38 in (-7.11) |
| 2025 | 15.75 in (-4.74) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 37.25 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 6.93 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ROSCOE (25 mi away) | 5.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,691 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 78% |
| Built 2000 or later | 8% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $85,800 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Mitchell County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado City | 5% | under 1% | 1,579 |
| Loraine | 6% | 0% | 288 |
| Westbrook | 11% | 0% | 87 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nolan County, TX | 30 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Howard County, TX | 30 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Scurry County, TX | 30 mi | 19% | 1% |
| Sterling County, TX | 33 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Coke County, TX | 34 mi | 11% | under 1% |
| Borden County, TX | 42 mi | 38% | 1% |
| Fisher County, TX | 43 mi | 8% | under 1% |
| Glasscock County, TX | 46 mi | 17% | 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