Motley County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 7% of Motley County's mapped land. 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. 80% 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 Motley County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 54.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.9% |
| Mapped soil | 633,446 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX345 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.61 in, 11.15 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 22.76 in.
USDA rates 54% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 7% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Motley County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 43 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 | 99.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 94.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 20.2% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Motley County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.76 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.61 in (-11.15) |
| 2025 | 19.19 in (-3.57) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 40.04 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 8.78 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MATADOR (2 mi away) | 6.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 734 |
| Median year built | 1961 |
| Built before 1980 | 80% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $88,000 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Motley County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matador | under 1% | 0% | 435 |
| Roaring Springs | 0% | under 1% | 124 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floyd County, TX | 29 mi | 84% | 10% |
| Cottle County, TX | 30 mi | 18% | 2% |
| Hall County, TX | 30 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Dickens County, TX | 31 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Briscoe County, TX | 40 mi | 40% | 8% |
| Crosby County, TX | 42 mi | 54% | 4% |
| King County, TX | 44 mi | 13% | under 1% |
| Childress County, TX | 46 mi | 12% | 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