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Abernathy, Texas
Inside Abernathy's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 73% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 9 cities in Lubbock County. A shallow water table limits basements on 7%, the highest of 9 cities in Lubbock County.
That clay share is above Lubbock County's 42%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79311 overlapping the city. Of its 1,273 homes, 69% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1966.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Lubbock County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Abernathy
Foundation repair in Abernathy: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 73% of Abernathy's mapped land, more than in 77% of Texas cities.
About 1,100 of Abernathy's 1,273 homes are detached houses.
| Who designs the repair | The ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Abernathy city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 72.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 6.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 70.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 68.4% |
| Mapped soil | 2,093 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.7% 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 73% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 64.1% of Lubbock County is in drought on the latest map, and 73% of Abernathy's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 70% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Lubbock County
64.1% of Lubbock County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Abernathy. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79311 | 100% | 1 | $52,094 |
Homes in Abernathy
| Housing units | 1,273 |
| Median year built | 1966 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 77% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $176,400 |
| Single-family detached | 89% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Deal | 7 mi | 79% | 5% |
| Shallowater | 12 mi | 47% | 1% |
| Petersburg | 15 mi | 95% | 1% |
| Idalou | 15 mi | 34% | 2% |
| Hale Center | 17 mi | 97% | 4% |
| Anton | 18 mi | 86% | 0% |
| Lubbock | 18 mi | 23% | 3% |
| Lorenzo | 21 mi | 94% | 3% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status