Reagan County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15% of Reagan County's mapped land, a higher share than 62% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
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. 44% 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 Reagan County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 14.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 49.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 14.0% |
| Mapped soil | 752,614 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Reagan | 55% | n/a |
| Conger | 14% | n/a |
| Angelo | 11% | n/a |
| Ector | 9% | 0% |
| Rioconcho | 2% | n/a |
| Noelke | 1% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX618 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.66 in, 3.04 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 17.70 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 15% and a shallow water table on 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Reagan County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 14.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Reagan County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 17.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.66 in (-3.04) |
| 2025 | 17.38 in (-0.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1932: 33.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 6.00 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at COPE RCH (17 mi away) | 5.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,336 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 44% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,500 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Reagan County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake | 4% | under 1% | 1,029 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upton County, TX | 31 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Irion County, TX | 32 mi | 21% | under 1% |
| Glasscock County, TX | 34 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Sterling County, TX | 42 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Midland County, TX | 42 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Crockett County, TX | 46 mi | 11% | 0% |
| Crane County, TX | 61 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Tom Green County, TX | 62 mi | 43% | 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