Shelby County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 40% of Shelby County's mapped land, a higher share than 87% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 39%.
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. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1984.
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 Shelby County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 39.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 39.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 60.3% |
| Mapped soil | 525,355 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Eastwood | 34% | 99% |
| Laneville | 9% | n/a |
| Metcalf | 6% | n/a |
| Latex | 6% | n/a |
| Scottsville | 5% | n/a |
| Dreka | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX419 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.3% by land area here, and 60% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 40% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 40% of Shelby County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 39% of Shelby 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: 34.02 in, 20.20 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.22 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 47 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 36 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 | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $0 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 34.02 in (-20.20) |
| 2025 | 49.22 in (-5.00) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 78.78 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1954: 30.53 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at CENTER (2 mi away) | 18.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 11,584 |
| Median year built | 1984 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $101,500 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Shelby County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panola County, TX | 28 mi | 50% | 61% |
| San Augustine County, TX | 28 mi | 20% | 28% |
| De Soto Parish, LA | 30 mi | 45% | 46% |
| Nacogdoches County, TX | 31 mi | 13% | 28% |
| Sabine County, TX | 35 mi | 31% | 26% |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 38 mi | 39% | 51% |
| Rusk County, TX | 42 mi | 15% | 28% |
| Angelina County, TX | 46 mi | 27% | 44% |
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