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Alpine, Texas
Inside Alpine's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 38% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 0%.
That clay share is above Brewster County's 6%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 3,682 homes, 55% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1976.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Brewster County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 2 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Alpine
Foundation repair in Alpine: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 38% of Alpine's mapped land.
About 2,400 of Alpine's 3,682 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 Alpine city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 37.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 78.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 37.5% |
| Mapped soil | 3,082 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Musquiz | 38% | n/a |
| Boracho | 23% | n/a |
| Espy | 8% | n/a |
| Brewster | 5% | n/a |
| Berrend | 5% | n/a |
| Murray | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 38% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 38% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 28.6% of Brewster County is in drought on the latest map, and 38% of Alpine's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Brewster County
28.6% of Brewster 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 Alpine. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79830 | 97% | 2 | $0 |
| 79832 | 3% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Alpine
| Housing units | 3,682 |
| Median year built | 1976 |
| Built before 1980 | 55% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 66% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $219,800 |
| Single-family detached | 66% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marfa | 22 mi | 3% | 0% |
| Balmorhea | 43 mi | 69% | 69% |
| Valentine | 52 mi | 12% | 0% |
| Fort Stockton | 59 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Toyah | 66 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Presidio | 70 mi | 6% | 0% |
| Town of Pecos | 71 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Barstow | 77 mi | 0% | 0% |
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