Zavala County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 28% of Zavala County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% 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 11 flood losses here since 2016. 51% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1979.
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 Zavala County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 27.8% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 67.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 22.3% |
| Mapped soil | 831,507 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Uvalde | 13% | n/a |
| Bookout | 8% | n/a |
| Webb | 6% | n/a |
| Chacon | 6% | n/a |
| Montell | 5% | n/a |
| Cotulla | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas TX605 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.2% by land area here, and 22% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 28% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 28% of Zavala County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 22.67 in, 0.73 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 21.94 in.
USDA rates 67% 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 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 | 90.9% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 49.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
11 flood losses since 2016, $508,873 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 8.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 8 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 21.94 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 22.67 in (+0.73) |
| 2025 | 16.62 in (-5.32) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1919: 39.93 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1917: 7.96 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LA PRYOR (10 mi away) | 7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,946 |
| Median year built | 1979 |
| Built before 1980 | 51% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 69% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $98,800 |
| Single-family detached | 65% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Zavala County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal City | 37% | under 1% | 2,526 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimmit County, TX | 30 mi | 30% | under 1% |
| Uvalde County, TX | 34 mi | 23% | under 1% |
| Maverick County, TX | 35 mi | 33% | under 1% |
| Frio County, TX | 39 mi | 10% | under 1% |
| Medina County, TX | 52 mi | 33% | under 1% |
| Kinney County, TX | 52 mi | 10% | 1% |
| La Salle County, TX | 54 mi | 35% | under 1% |
| Real County, TX | 67 mi | 9% | 0% |
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