Sabine County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 31% of Sabine County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 26%.
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. 31% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1991.
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 Sabine County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 26.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 71.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 41.8% |
| Mapped soil | 369,587 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX619 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.6% by land area here, and 42% 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 Sabine County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 26% of Sabine 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: 41.13 in, 15.03 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.16 in.
USDA rates 71% 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 32 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 | 87.4% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 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 | 56.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.13 in (-15.03) |
| 2025 | 53.52 in (-2.64) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 80.35 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2010: 31.91 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at PINELAND (10 mi away) | 18.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,697 |
| Median year built | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 | 31% |
| Built 2000 or later | 32% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,100 |
| Single-family detached | 59% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Sabine County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Augustine County, TX | 19 mi | 20% | 28% |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 23 mi | 39% | 51% |
| Shelby County, TX | 35 mi | 40% | 39% |
| Newton County, TX | 39 mi | 13% | 36% |
| Jasper County, TX | 42 mi | 15% | 43% |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 43 mi | 22% | 51% |
| Angelina County, TX | 45 mi | 27% | 44% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 49 mi | 13% | 28% |
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