Taylor County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 45% of Taylor County's mapped land, a higher share than 89% 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 31 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.
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 Taylor County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 45.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.9% |
| Urban land, not rated | 1.1% |
| Mapped soil | 588,807 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX441 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.5% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 45% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 45% of Taylor County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 20.68 in, 4.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 25.47 in.
USDA rates 78% 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 40 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 15 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 | 43.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
31 flood losses since 2016, $196,595 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 17.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 1 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 25.47 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 20.68 in (-4.79) |
| 2025 | 19.56 in (-5.91) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 39.62 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 10.24 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ABILENE RGNL AP (14 mi away) | 6.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 62,198 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 53% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 61% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $198,600 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Taylor County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callahan County, TX | 30 mi | 60% | 2% |
| Nolan County, TX | 31 mi | 13% | 1% |
| Jones County, TX | 31 mi | 54% | under 1% |
| Runnels County, TX | 32 mi | 42% | 1% |
| Coleman County, TX | 41 mi | 48% | 0% |
| Fisher County, TX | 43 mi | 8% | under 1% |
| Shackelford County, TX | 44 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Coke County, TX | 52 mi | 11% | 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