Sterling County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 30% of Sterling County's mapped land, a higher share than 81% 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. 41% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1983.
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 Sterling County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 30.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | under 0.1% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 29.8% |
| Mapped soil | 590,637 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ector | 31% | 0% |
| Angelo | 24% | n/a |
| Cho | 7% | n/a |
| Mereta | 7% | n/a |
| Broome | 7% | n/a |
| Rioconcho | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX431 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.2% by land area here, and 30% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 30% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 30% of Sterling County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 14.76 in, 5.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 20.05 in.
USDA rates 80% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 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
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Sterling County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 20.05 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 14.76 in (-5.29) |
| 2025 | 18.21 in (-1.84) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 38.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 7.04 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at STERLING CITY (5 mi away) | 5.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 524 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 41% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $147,000 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Sterling County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling City | 60% | 0% | 396 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coke County, TX | 25 mi | 11% | under 1% |
| Glasscock County, TX | 27 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Mitchell County, TX | 33 mi | 34% | under 1% |
| Irion County, TX | 37 mi | 21% | under 1% |
| Howard County, TX | 39 mi | 24% | 1% |
| Reagan County, TX | 42 mi | 15% | 1% |
| Tom Green County, TX | 46 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Nolan County, TX | 50 mi | 13% | 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