Robertson County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of Robertson County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 19%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses here since 2016. 45% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
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 Robertson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 19.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 61.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 35.6% |
| Mapped soil | 553,747 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Edge | 10% | n/a |
| Silstid | 10% | n/a |
| Padina | 7% | n/a |
| Ships | 5% | n/a |
| Tabor | 5% | n/a |
| Hearne | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX395 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 36% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 31% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 31% of Robertson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 19% of Robertson 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: 30.44 in, 10.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 40.50 in.
USDA rates 61% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 24 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 | 94.7% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 47.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
2 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2023, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 40.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.44 in (-10.06) |
| 2025 | 34.65 in (-5.85) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2004: 56.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 20.20 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BREMOND (14 mi away) | 12.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,612 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 45% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31% |
| Owner-occupied | 72% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $185,900 |
| Single-family detached | 69% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Robertson County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazos County, TX | 28 mi | 57% | 26% |
| Falls County, TX | 29 mi | 72% | 2% |
| Milam County, TX | 32 mi | 61% | 12% |
| Madison County, TX | 35 mi | 52% | 48% |
| Leon County, TX | 36 mi | 16% | 23% |
| Limestone County, TX | 36 mi | 61% | 10% |
| Burleson County, TX | 37 mi | 50% | 17% |
| Grimes County, TX | 46 mi | 61% | 40% |
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