Ochiltree County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 70% of Ochiltree County's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 5%.
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. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Ochiltree County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 69.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 4.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 61.9% |
| Mapped soil | 588,090 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Sherm | 46% | 95% |
| Darrouzett | 10% | n/a |
| Oslo | 10% | n/a |
| Conlen | 8% | n/a |
| Plack | 4% | n/a |
| Potter | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX357 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% by land area here, and 62% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 70% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 70% of Ochiltree County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.84 in, 6.57 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.41 in.
USDA rates 71% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 | 67.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Ochiltree County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 21.41 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.84 in (-6.57) |
| 2025 | 23.59 in (+2.18) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 35.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 8.89 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PERRYTON (8 mi away) | 6.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,345 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $134,400 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Ochiltree County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perryton | 91% | 7% | 3,747 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hansford County, TX | 30 mi | 55% | 2% |
| Lipscomb County, TX | 30 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Roberts County, TX | 30 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Beaver County, OK | 37 mi | 6% | 7% |
| Hutchinson County, TX | 43 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Hemphill County, TX | 44 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Texas County, OK | 49 mi | 30% | 3% |
| Ellis County, OK | 60 mi | 3% | 4% |
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