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Alice, Texas
Inside Alice's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 49% of mapped land, the 3rd-highest of 3 cities in Jim Wells County. A shallow water table limits basements on 14%, the 2nd-highest of 3 cities in Jim Wells County.
That clay share is above Jim Wells County's 27%. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 78332 overlapping the city. Of its 7,016 homes, 64% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1974.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Jim Wells 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 Alice
Foundation repair in Alice: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 49% of Alice's mapped land, more than in 56% of Texas cities.
About 5,400 of Alice's 7,016 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 Alice city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 48.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 62.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 48.0% |
| Mapped soil | 8,060 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Clareville | 29% | n/a |
| Lattas | 12% | n/a |
| Opelika | 11% | n/a |
| Pharr | 9% | n/a |
| Runge | 5% | n/a |
| Czar | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.6% by land area here, and 48% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 49% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Jim Wells County is in drought on the latest map, and 49% of Alice's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 63% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Jim Wells County
100% of Jim Wells 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 Alice. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78332 | 100% | 13 | $16,577 |
Homes in Alice
| Housing units | 7,016 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 64% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% |
| Owner-occupied | 57% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $131,100 |
| Single-family detached | 77% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agua Dulce | 10 mi | 97% | 1% |
| San Diego | 11 mi | 36% | 2% |
| Orange Grove | 16 mi | 82% | under 1% |
| Driscoll | 20 mi | 93% | 1% |
| Bishop | 20 mi | 96% | 3% |
| Kingsville | 21 mi | 62% | 1% |
| Benavides | 24 mi | 10% | under 1% |
| San Patricio | 24 mi | 39% | 18% |
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