Schleicher County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 32% of Schleicher County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
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. 58% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Schleicher County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 31.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 87.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 64.9% |
| Mapped soil | 838,003 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 37% | n/a |
| Tobosa | 11% | n/a |
| Valera | 9% | n/a |
| Cho | 9% | n/a |
| Angelo | 8% | n/a |
| Kavett | 8% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX413 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.9% by land area here, and 65% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 32% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 32% of Schleicher County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 23.24 in, 1.14 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 22.10 in.
USDA rates 87% 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 18 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 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 | 25% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Schleicher County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 22.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 23.24 in (+1.14) |
| 2025 | 25.96 in (+3.86) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 40.49 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1951: 7.72 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ELDORADO (5 mi away) | 6.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,287 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 84% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $122,700 |
| Single-family detached | 88% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Schleicher County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eldorado | 70% | 0% | 932 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton County, TX | 26 mi | 19% | under 1% |
| Tom Green County, TX | 35 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Irion County, TX | 39 mi | 21% | under 1% |
| Menard County, TX | 40 mi | 12% | 0% |
| Concho County, TX | 49 mi | 32% | under 1% |
| Crockett County, TX | 54 mi | 11% | 0% |
| Kimble County, TX | 55 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Edwards County, TX | 64 mi | 4% | 0% |
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