Presidio County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 10% of Presidio County's mapped land, a higher share than 55% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
49.8% 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. 47% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
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 Presidio County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 10.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 10.6% |
| Mapped soil | 2,368,780 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Brewster | 7% | n/a |
| Corazones | 7% | n/a |
| Musquiz | 5% | n/a |
| Murray | 5% | n/a |
| Marfa | 4% | n/a |
| Chinati | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX377 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 11.50 in, 1.40 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 12.90 in.
USDA rates 74% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 10% and a shallow water table on 0% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Presidio County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
49.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 weeks, most recently on the April 28, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 94% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 49.8% |
| 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 Presidio County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 12.90 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 11.50 in (-1.40) |
| 2025 | 13.39 in (+0.49) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 28.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 4.28 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CANDELARIA (27 mi away) | 1.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,273 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 14% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $121,300 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Presidio County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Davis County, TX | 43 mi | 13% | under 1% |
| Brewster County, TX | 62 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Reeves County, TX | 96 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Culberson County, TX | 101 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Pecos County, TX | 106 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Hudspeth County, TX | 120 mi | 1% | 1% |
| Ward County, TX | 124 mi | 4% | 0% |
| Terrell County, TX | 132 mi | 1% | 0% |
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