Winkler County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0% of Winkler County's mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
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. 74% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1968.
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 Winkler County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 57.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.5% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 537,709 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Penwell | 18% | n/a |
| Pyote | 15% | n/a |
| Blakeney | 10% | n/a |
| Wickett | 10% | n/a |
| Elgee | 9% | n/a |
| Sharvana | 7% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX615 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 8.93 in, 3.29 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 12.22 in.
USDA rates 57% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
With shrink-swell clay on 0% and a shallow water table on 0% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Winkler 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 28 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 | 48.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
FEMA's flood data list no flood losses in Winkler County since 2016.
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 12.22 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 8.93 in (-3.29) |
| 2025 | 7.87 in (-4.35) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1941: 26.55 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2011: 2.88 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WINKLER CO AP (14 mi away) | 2.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,227 |
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Built before 1980 | 74% |
| Built 2000 or later | 13% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $148,200 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Winkler County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ward County, TX | 24 mi | 4% | 0% |
| Ector County, TX | 25 mi | under 1% | under 1% |
| Loving County, TX | 29 mi | 2% | 4% |
| Crane County, TX | 36 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Andrews County, TX | 39 mi | 2% | under 1% |
| Reeves County, TX | 56 mi | 11% | 1% |
| Midland County, TX | 57 mi | 3% | 1% |
| Upton County, TX | 64 mi | 2% | 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