Wheeler County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1% of Wheeler County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 2%.
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. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1971.
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 Wheeler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 2.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 76.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.9% |
| Mapped soil | 585,977 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Grandfield | 28% | n/a |
| Devol | 19% | n/a |
| Nobscot | 8% | n/a |
| Delwin | 6% | n/a |
| Tivoli | 5% | n/a |
| Lutie | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX483 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 13.04 in, 10.73 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 23.77 in.
USDA rates 76% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 1% and a shallow water table on 2% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Wheeler County; conditions still vary lot by lot.
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 45 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 34 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 | 72.5% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Wheeler County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 23.77 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 13.04 in (-10.73) |
| 2025 | 21.66 in (-2.11) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1923: 41.24 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1910: 10.65 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at SHAMROCK #2 (12 mi away) | 6.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 2,606 |
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $106,100 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Wheeler County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemphill County, TX | 29 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Collingsworth County, TX | 30 mi | 7% | under 1% |
| Gray County, TX | 32 mi | 31% | 4% |
| Beckham County, OK | 33 mi | 3% | 2% |
| Roger Mills County, OK | 36 mi | under 1% | 1% |
| Donley County, TX | 44 mi | 4% | 1% |
| Roberts County, TX | 45 mi | 8% | 1% |
| Harmon County, OK | 50 mi | 25% | 2% |
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