Young County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 27% of Young County's mapped land, a higher share than 77% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on under 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 4 flood losses here since 2016. 57% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1976.
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 Young County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 26.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 83.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.6% |
| Mapped soil | 595,463 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegrove | 10% | n/a |
| Shatruce | 8% | n/a |
| Gowen | 6% | n/a |
| Truce | 4% | 47% |
| Newcastle | 4% | n/a |
| Jolly | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX503 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.3% by land area here, and 14% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 27% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 27% of Young County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 21.08 in, 9.28 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 30.36 in.
USDA rates 83% 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 25 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 6 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 | 61.3% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
4 flood losses since 2016, $67,660 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 2.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 30.36 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 21.08 in (-9.28) |
| 2025 | 32.91 in (+2.55) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 50.12 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1952: 14.69 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WOODSON (24 mi away) | 8.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 8,545 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $175,800 |
| Single-family detached | 81% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Young County
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack County, TX | 30 mi | 17% | 1% |
| Throckmorton County, TX | 31 mi | 49% | under 1% |
| Stephens County, TX | 31 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Archer County, TX | 32 mi | 36% | under 1% |
| Palo Pinto County, TX | 35 mi | 19% | 1% |
| Baylor County, TX | 44 mi | 54% | under 1% |
| Shackelford County, TX | 48 mi | 43% | under 1% |
| Clay County, TX | 51 mi | 23% | 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