Morris County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of Morris County's mapped land, a higher share than 75% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 45%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 59% 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 Morris County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 45.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 27.3% |
| Mapped soil | 166,484 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX603 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.8% 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 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Morris County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 45% of Morris 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: 30.80 in, 17.70 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 48.50 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 31 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 | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $23,524 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 48.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.80 in (-17.70) |
| 2025 | 48.29 in (-0.21) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2009: 74.79 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2005: 26.15 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DAINGERFIELD 9 S (14 mi away) | 15.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,821 |
| Median year built | 1975 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $120,400 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Morris County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daingerfield | 0% | 10% | 1,069 |
| Lone Star | 0% | 14% | 816 |
| Naples | 16% | 52% | 707 |
| Omaha | 7% | 52% | 557 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titus County, TX | 15 mi | 50% | 50% |
| Camp County, TX | 17 mi | 9% | 56% |
| Cass County, TX | 22 mi | 4% | 37% |
| Franklin County, TX | 29 mi | 41% | 45% |
| Bowie County, TX | 29 mi | 32% | 60% |
| Upshur County, TX | 29 mi | 2% | 38% |
| Marion County, TX | 31 mi | 4% | 38% |
| Red River County, TX | 39 mi | 61% | 40% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status