Shackelford County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 43% of Shackelford County's mapped land, a higher share than 88% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 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. 60% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1970.
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 Shackelford County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 42.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 88.9% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 43.8% |
| Mapped soil | 585,818 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Throck | 21% | n/a |
| Lueders | 12% | n/a |
| Palopinto | 9% | n/a |
| Leeray | 9% | n/a |
| Nukrum | 7% | n/a |
| Frio | 6% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX417 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 44% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 43% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 43% of Shackelford County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.57 in, 6.26 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 27.83 in.
USDA rates 89% 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 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 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 | 39.7% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Shackelford County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 27.83 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.57 in (-6.26) |
| 2025 | 28.91 in (+1.08) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 44.53 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1956: 10.99 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ALBANY (4 mi away) | 8.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,575 |
| Median year built | 1970 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 21% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $174,800 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Shackelford County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephens County, TX | 30 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Throckmorton County, TX | 31 mi | 49% | under 1% |
| Jones County, TX | 31 mi | 54% | under 1% |
| Callahan County, TX | 31 mi | 60% | 2% |
| Haskell County, TX | 37 mi | 59% | 2% |
| Eastland County, TX | 42 mi | 30% | 15% |
| Taylor County, TX | 44 mi | 45% | under 1% |
| Young County, TX | 48 mi | 27% | 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