Rusk County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 15% of Rusk County's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 28%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 10 flood losses here since 2016. 49% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
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 Rusk County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 15.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 28.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 74.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 24.7% |
| Mapped soil | 600,084 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX401 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 25% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 15% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 15% of Rusk County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 28% of Rusk 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: 31.76 in, 17.34 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.10 in.
USDA rates 75% 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 14.6% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
10 flood losses since 2016, $83,543 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.76 in (-17.34) |
| 2025 | 46.72 in (-2.38) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 69.81 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 26.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HENDERSON (5 mi away) | 16.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,311 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 49% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $171,300 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Rusk County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson | 9% | 25% | 4,950 |
| Mount Enterprise | under 1% | 16% | 192 |
| New London | 4% | 7% | 397 |
| Overton | under 1% | 9% | 939 |
| Reklaw | 5% | 50% | 144 |
| Tatum | 32% | 35% | 677 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregg County, TX | 26 mi | 9% | 43% |
| Panola County, TX | 27 mi | 50% | 61% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 30 mi | 14% | 40% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 35 mi | 13% | 28% |
| Smith County, TX | 35 mi | 3% | 23% |
| Harrison County, TX | 38 mi | 24% | 53% |
| Shelby County, TX | 42 mi | 40% | 39% |
| Upshur County, TX | 45 mi | 2% | 38% |
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