Newton County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13% of Newton County's mapped land, a higher share than 60% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 36%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, up from 85.3% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 408 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 33% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
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 Newton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 12.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 17.5% |
| Mapped soil | 601,145 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Tehran | 8% | n/a |
| Otanya | 6% | n/a |
| Letney | 6% | n/a |
| Pinetucky | 5% | n/a |
| Evadale | 4% | n/a |
| Doucette | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX611 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 36% of Newton 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: 45.13 in, 13.43 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.56 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 18 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 | 42.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
408 flood losses since 2016, $26.3 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 260. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 49% slabs, 3% crawl spaces, 49% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 42 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 107 |
| 2017 | 260 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 25 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.13 in (-13.43) |
| 2025 | 52.56 in (-6.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 81.52 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2010: 35.26 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TOWN BLUFF DAM (26 mi away) | 19.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,492 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $103,100 |
| Single-family detached | 44% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Newton County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | 0% | 9% | 956 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County, TX | 17 mi | 15% | 43% |
| Beauregard Parish, LA | 26 mi | 10% | 76% |
| Tyler County, TX | 38 mi | 18% | 34% |
| Sabine County, TX | 39 mi | 31% | 26% |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 39 mi | 22% | 51% |
| Calcasieu Parish, LA | 45 mi | 18% | 84% |
| Orange County, TX | 47 mi | 26% | 65% |
| San Augustine County, TX | 48 mi | 20% | 28% |
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