Runnels County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 42% of Runnels County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% 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 1 flood losses here since 2016. 76% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1958.
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 Runnels County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 42.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 64.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 34.2% |
| Mapped soil | 676,716 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Rowena | 17% | n/a |
| Quanah | 15% | n/a |
| Potter | 9% | n/a |
| Mereta | 9% | n/a |
| Kavett | 7% | n/a |
| Sagerton | 6% | 88% |
How we count · survey areas TX399 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 34% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 42% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 42% of Runnels County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.12 in, 2.51 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 24.63 in.
USDA rates 64% 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 23 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 15 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 | 100% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $101,329 paid. The worst year was 2017, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 24.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.12 in (-2.51) |
| 2025 | 20.30 in (-4.33) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1935: 41.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 10.63 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BALLINGER 2 NW (7 mi away) | 6.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,990 |
| Median year built | 1958 |
| Built before 1980 | 76% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $109,300 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Runnels County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County, TX | 32 mi | 45% | under 1% |
| Concho County, TX | 37 mi | 32% | under 1% |
| Coleman County, TX | 38 mi | 48% | 0% |
| Coke County, TX | 38 mi | 11% | under 1% |
| Nolan County, TX | 41 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Tom Green County, TX | 42 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Callahan County, TX | 47 mi | 60% | 2% |
| McCulloch County, TX | 57 mi | 29% | 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