Upton County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 2% of Upton County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
94.9% 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. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1967.
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 Upton County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 2.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.4% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.3% |
| Mapped soil | 795,584 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Reagan | 63% | n/a |
| Lozier | 10% | n/a |
| Conger | 8% | n/a |
| Tencee | 5% | n/a |
| Upton | 2% | n/a |
| Kinco | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX618 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 10.28 in, 4.35 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 14.63 in.
With shrink-swell clay on 2% and a shallow water table on under 1% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Upton County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought
94.9% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 42 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 98.8% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 98.8% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 94.9% |
| D2 severe or worse | 89% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 45.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Upton County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 14.63 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 10.28 in (-4.35) |
| 2025 | 11.48 in (-3.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 32.61 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 3.87 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MCCAMEY (19 mi away) | 3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 1,683 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $109,000 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Upton County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane County, TX | 31 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Reagan County, TX | 31 mi | 15% | 1% |
| Midland County, TX | 32 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Ector County, TX | 46 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Glasscock County, TX | 47 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Pecos County, TX | 57 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Crockett County, TX | 58 mi | 11% | 0% |
| Irion County, TX | 63 mi | 21% | 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