Smith County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 3% of Smith County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 23%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 80 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Smith County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.9% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 22.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 60.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 3.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.3% |
| Mapped soil | 607,853 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX423 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
On 23% of Smith 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: 28.20 in, 17.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.19 in.
USDA rates 60% 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 43 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 25 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 | 37.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
80 flood losses since 2016, $2.0 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 27. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 88% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 8 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 27 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.19 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 28.20 in (-17.99) |
| 2025 | 46.71 in (+0.52) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 73.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2005: 25.81 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at TYLER (5 mi away) | 15 |
Homes
| Housing units | 99,673 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 33% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $240,700 |
| Single-family detached | 68% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Smith County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arp | under 1% | 17% | 429 |
| Bullard | 1% | 19% | 1,664 |
| Hideaway | 0% | 4% | 1,665 |
| Lindale | 1% | 10% | 2,839 |
| New Chapel Hill | 0% | 20% | 321 |
| Noonday | 6% | 14% | 359 |
| Troup | 2% | 56% | 914 |
| Tyler | 1% | 10% | 46,019 |
| Whitehouse | 5% | 24% | 3,229 |
| Winona | 1% | 25% | 362 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregg County, TX | 28 mi | 9% | 43% |
| Wood County, TX | 29 mi | 18% | 36% |
| Upshur County, TX | 31 mi | 2% | 38% |
| Rusk County, TX | 35 mi | 15% | 28% |
| Van Zandt County, TX | 35 mi | 46% | 35% |
| Henderson County, TX | 36 mi | 25% | 25% |
| Cherokee County, TX | 37 mi | 14% | 40% |
| Anderson County, TX | 43 mi | 11% | 20% |
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