Pecos County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8% of Pecos County's mapped land, a higher share than 51% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
12.5% 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. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1981.
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 Pecos County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 8.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 63.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.0% |
| Mapped soil | 3,058,669 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ector | 18% | 0% |
| Reakor | 10% | n/a |
| Upton | 9% | n/a |
| Reagan | 9% | n/a |
| Lozier | 8% | n/a |
| Sanderson | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX371 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.02 in, 3.86 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 13.88 in.
USDA rates 63% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 8% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Pecos County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
12.5% 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 3 weeks, most recently on the April 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 51.4% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 12.5% |
| D2 severe or worse | 1.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Pecos County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 13.88 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.02 in (-3.86) |
| 2025 | 11.69 in (-2.19) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 30.17 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 2.97 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT STOCKTON (15 mi away) | 3.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,897 |
| Median year built | 1981 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 30% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $165,700 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Pecos County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Stockton | 1% | under 1% | 3,550 |
| Iraan | 3% | 0% | 515 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane County, TX | 48 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Terrell County, TX | 54 mi | 1% | 0% |
| Ward County, TX | 55 mi | 4% | 0% |
| Upton County, TX | 57 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Reeves County, TX | 70 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Brewster County, TX | 74 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Winkler County, TX | 74 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Ector County, TX | 76 mi | under 1% | under 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