Scurry County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 19% of Scurry County's mapped land, a higher share than 68% 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 no flood losses here since 2016. 70% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Scurry County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 18.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.2% |
| Mapped soil | 579,360 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX415 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 6% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 19% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 19% of Scurry County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 12.10 in, 9.06 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 21.16 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 49 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 | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 43.1% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Scurry County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 21.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 12.10 in (-9.06) |
| 2025 | 15.39 in (-5.77) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 39.22 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 7.38 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SNYDER (2 mi away) | 5.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,881 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 70% |
| Built 2000 or later | 9% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $113,800 |
| Single-family detached | 84% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Scurry County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snyder | 33% | under 1% | 4,943 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher County, TX | 30 mi | 8% | under 1% |
| Mitchell County, TX | 30 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| Borden County, TX | 31 mi | 38% | 1% |
| Kent County, TX | 32 mi | 12% | 1% |
| Garza County, TX | 38 mi | 32% | 2% |
| Nolan County, TX | 42 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Howard County, TX | 43 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Stonewall County, TX | 49 mi | 19% | 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