Rains County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 60% of Rains County's mapped land, a higher share than 94% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 34%.
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. 24% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1996.
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 Rains County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 60.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 34.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 73.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 63.2% |
| Mapped soil | 165,882 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX610 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.2% by land area here, and 63% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 60% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 60% of Rains County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 34% of Rains County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 32.04 in, 12.98 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 45.02 in.
USDA rates 73% 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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 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 | 10.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Rains County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 45.02 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 32.04 in (-12.98) |
| 2025 | 46.73 in (+1.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 76.86 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2005: 20.09 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAKE TAWAKONI (5 mi away) | 13.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 5,925 |
| Median year built | 1996 |
| Built before 1980 | 24% |
| Built 2000 or later | 43% |
| Owner-occupied | 83% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $241,100 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Rains County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Tawakoni | 83% | 2% | 461 |
| Emory | 41% | 27% | 479 |
| Point | 88% | 1% | 378 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Zandt County, TX | 22 mi | 46% | 35% |
| Hopkins County, TX | 23 mi | 63% | 31% |
| Hunt County, TX | 24 mi | 78% | 17% |
| Wood County, TX | 25 mi | 18% | 36% |
| Kaufman County, TX | 34 mi | 73% | 16% |
| Rockwall County, TX | 36 mi | 72% | 2% |
| Delta County, TX | 36 mi | 77% | 15% |
| Franklin County, TX | 40 mi | 41% | 45% |
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