Olney, Texas
Inside Olney's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 54% of mapped land, the highest of 3 cities in Young County. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Young County's 27%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76374 overlapping the city. Of its 1,509 homes, 86% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1965.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Young County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Olney
Foundation repair in Olney: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 54% of Olney's mapped land, more than in 61% of Texas cities.
About 1,200 of Olney's 1,509 homes are detached houses.
| Who designs the repair | The ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Olney city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 54.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 19.8% |
| Mapped soil | 1,302 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 20% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 54% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Young County is in drought on the latest map, and 54% of Olney's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 87% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Young County
100% of Young County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Olney. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76374 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Olney
| Housing units | 1,509 |
| Median year built | 1965 |
| Built before 1980 | 86% |
| Built 2000 or later | 3% |
| Owner-occupied | 63% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $95,100 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megargel | 12 mi | 53% | 0% |
| Newcastle | 12 mi | 38% | under 1% |
| Archer City | 18 mi | 24% | 0% |
| Graham | 21 mi | 22% | under 1% |
| Windthorst | 24 mi | 56% | under 1% |
| Bryson | 25 mi | 19% | 3% |
| Scotland | 26 mi | 26% | under 1% |
| Throckmorton | 27 mi | 24% | 0% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status