Terrell County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1% of Terrell County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
95.7% 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. 83% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1957.
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 Terrell County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 82.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 1,508,531 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Ector | 41% | 0% |
| Upton | 16% | n/a |
| Lozier | 9% | n/a |
| Sanderson | 9% | n/a |
| Reagan | 7% | n/a |
| Dev | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX443 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.55 in, 5.94 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.49 in.
USDA rates 82% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 0% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Terrell County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
95.7% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the April 7, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 99.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 95.7% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Terrell County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 14.49 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 8.55 in (-5.94) |
| 2025 | 10.70 in (-3.79) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2004: 26.94 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 3.41 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at DRYDEN TERRELL CO AP (15 mi away) | 2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 639 |
| Median year built | 1957 |
| Built before 1980 | 83% |
| Built 2000 or later | 2% |
| Owner-occupied | 89% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $137,500 |
| Single-family detached | 87% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crockett County, TX | 52 mi | 11% | 0% |
| Pecos County, TX | 54 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Val Verde County, TX | 61 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Brewster County, TX | 76 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Upton County, TX | 77 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Reagan County, TX | 86 mi | 15% | 1% |
| Crane County, TX | 89 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Sutton County, TX | 95 mi | 19% | 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