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Nacogdoches County, Texas

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13% of Nacogdoches County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 28%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 23 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

13%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

28%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

42%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Nacogdoches County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)12.8%
High water table (limits basements)28.3%
Septic fields very limited72.6%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.5%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)7.5%
Mapped soil627,232 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Nacogdoches10%0%
Cuthbert8%0%
Kirvin7%n/a
Sacul6%73%
Darco6%n/a
Lilbert6%0%
Angelina County: 27%Shelby County: 40%San Augustine County: 20%Rusk County: 15%Cherokee County: 14%Panola County: 50%Trinity County: 13%Sabine County: 31%Nacogdoches County AngelinaShelbySan AugustineRuskCherokeePanolaTrinitySabineNacogdoches
Nacogdoches County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas TX347 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 28% of Nacogdoches 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: 31.81 in, 20.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.92 in.

USDA rates 73% 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 29 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse33%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

23 flood losses since 2016, $2.3 million paid. The worst year was 2023, with 16. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 100% slabs.

YearFlood losses
20160
20173
20180
20191
20200
20210
20220
202316
20243
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202051.92 in
12 months to August 202631.81 in (-20.11)
202548.08 in (-3.84)
Wettest year since 18952024: 75.42 in
Driest year since 18952010: 28.02 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NACOGDOCHES (1 mi away)15.7

Homes

Housing units29,156
Median year built1985
Built before 198042%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied59%
Median value, owner-occupied$169,200
Single-family detached56%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Cities in Nacogdoches County

CityExpansive clayHigh water tableHomes
Appleby8%37%278
Chireno0%19%244
Cushing10%26%367
Garrison81%69%567
Nacogdochesunder 1%8%14,192

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Angelina County, TX 25 mi 27% 44%
Shelby County, TX 31 mi 40% 39%
San Augustine County, TX 32 mi 20% 28%
Rusk County, TX 35 mi 15% 28%
Cherokee County, TX 35 mi 14% 40%
Panola County, TX 42 mi 50% 61%
Trinity County, TX 48 mi 13% 74%
Sabine County, TX 49 mi 31% 26%

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