Victoria County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 65% of Victoria County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 35%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 141 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 47% 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 Victoria County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 64.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 35.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 68.3% |
| Mapped soil | 568,820 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Laewest | 17% | 94% |
| Telferner | 16% | n/a |
| Dacosta | 12% | n/a |
| Edna | 6% | n/a |
| Nada | 6% | n/a |
| Meguin | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX469 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.6% by land area here, and 68% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 65% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 65% of Victoria County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 35% of Victoria 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: 30.88 in, 7.77 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 38.65 in.
USDA rates 84% 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 46 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 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 | 48.6% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
141 flood losses since 2016, $2.5 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 113. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 79% slabs, 4% crawl spaces, 17% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 113 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 38.65 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 30.88 in (-7.77) |
| 2025 | 35.59 in (-3.06) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2004: 61.25 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 12.55 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at VICTORIA RGNL AP (5 mi away) | 12.4 |
Homes
| Housing units | 39,481 |
| Median year built | 1983 |
| Built before 1980 | 47% |
| Built 2000 or later | 27% |
| Owner-occupied | 65% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $209,900 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Victoria County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | 79% | 12% | 523 |
| Victoria | 62% | 20% | 29,046 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, TX | 26 mi | 67% | 24% |
| Goliad County, TX | 29 mi | 24% | 21% |
| DeWitt County, TX | 31 mi | 27% | 17% |
| Calhoun County, TX | 34 mi | 33% | 31% |
| Refugio County, TX | 35 mi | 54% | 15% |
| Lavaca County, TX | 41 mi | 48% | 37% |
| Aransas County, TX | 47 mi | 18% | 35% |
| Bee County, TX | 54 mi | 25% | 11% |
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