Oldham County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20% of Oldham County's mapped land, a higher share than 70% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
31.2% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses here since 2016. 71% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Oldham County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 46.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.4% |
| Mapped soil | 960,934 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX359 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.4% by land area here, and 19% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 31.2% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Oldham County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.81 in, 8.75 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.56 in.
Drought
31.2% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 35 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 31.2% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Oldham County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.56 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 8.81 in (-8.75) |
| 2025 | 20.44 in (+2.88) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 36.25 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 8.78 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BOYS RCH (21 mi away) | 4.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 776 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 71% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $162,800 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Oldham County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartley County, TX | 30 mi | 14% | 1% |
| Deaf Smith County, TX | 32 mi | 70% | 3% |
| Potter County, TX | 40 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Moore County, TX | 50 mi | 46% | 2% |
| Randall County, TX | 50 mi | 66% | 7% |
| Quay County, NM | 57 mi | 15% | 1% |
| Parmer County, TX | 61 mi | 61% | 2% |
| Dallam County, TX | 61 mi | 15% | 1% |
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