Roberts County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 8% of Roberts County's mapped land, a higher share than 50% 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. 68% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1966.
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 Roberts County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 7.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 1.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 7.7% |
| Mapped soil | 590,797 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Mobeetie | 15% | n/a |
| Pep | 10% | n/a |
| Potter | 10% | n/a |
| Paloduro | 9% | n/a |
| Likes | 9% | n/a |
| Berda | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX393 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.35 in, 9.58 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.93 in.
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 Roberts 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 | 42.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Roberts County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 21.93 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.35 in (-9.58) |
| 2025 | 22.94 in (+1.01) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 37.31 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 10.12 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PERRYTON 21 S (19 mi away) | 5.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 393 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 68% |
| Built 2000 or later | 6% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $161,500 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Roberts County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 0% | 1% | 223 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson County, TX | 29 mi | 19% | 2% |
| Gray County, TX | 30 mi | 31% | 4% |
| Ochiltree County, TX | 30 mi | 70% | 5% |
| Hemphill County, TX | 31 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Carson County, TX | 42 mi | 55% | 7% |
| Hansford County, TX | 42 mi | 55% | 2% |
| Lipscomb County, TX | 44 mi | 7% | 1% |
| Wheeler County, TX | 45 mi | 1% | 2% |
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