Moore County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 46% of Moore County's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
28.3% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. 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 1975.
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 Moore County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.5% |
| Mapped soil | 582,176 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Sherm | 43% | 95% |
| Sunray | 8% | n/a |
| Mobeetie | 7% | n/a |
| Dumas | 6% | n/a |
| Gruver | 5% | n/a |
| Conlen | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX341 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.5% by land area here, and 43% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 46% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 28.3% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 46% of Moore County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 9.59 in, 8.62 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 18.21 in.
USDA rates 60% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
28.3% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 28.3% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Moore County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 18.21 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 9.59 in (-8.62) |
| 2025 | 21.27 in (+3.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 34.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 8.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DUMAS (5 mi away) | 3.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,277 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $152,600 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Moore County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson County, TX | 30 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Potter County, TX | 30 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Sherman County, TX | 31 mi | 40% | 2% |
| Hartley County, TX | 40 mi | 14% | 1% |
| Carson County, TX | 42 mi | 55% | 7% |
| Hansford County, TX | 42 mi | 55% | 2% |
| Oldham County, TX | 50 mi | 20% | 1% |
| Dallam County, TX | 50 mi | 15% | 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