HomeTexasJohnson CountyAlvarado
Alvarado, Texas
Inside Alvarado's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 74% of mapped land, the 4th-highest of 13 cities in Johnson County. A shallow water table limits basements on 1%.
That clay share is above Johnson County's 51%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 76009 overlapping the city. Of its 2,148 homes, 33% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1999.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Johnson 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 Alvarado
Foundation repair in Alvarado: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 74% of Alvarado's mapped land, more than in 78% of Texas cities.
About 1,600 of Alvarado's 2,148 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 Alvarado city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 73.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 0.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 77.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 75.4% |
| Mapped soil | 4,946 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Heiden | 46% | 80% |
| Ferris | 10% | n/a |
| Crosstell | 9% | 98% |
| Houston Black | 8% | 91% |
| Navo | 6% | n/a |
| Altoga | 2% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.2% by land area here, and 75% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 74% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Johnson County is in drought on the latest map, and 74% of Alvarado's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 78% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Johnson County
100% of Johnson 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 Alvarado. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76009 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Alvarado
| Housing units | 2,148 |
| Median year built | 1999 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 48% |
| Owner-occupied | 75% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $249,000 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coyote Flats | 6 mi | 78% | 1% |
| Venus | 6 mi | 85% | under 1% |
| Keene | 7 mi | 42% | 16% |
| Briaroaks | 8 mi | 44% | 19% |
| Cross Timber | 8 mi | 20% | 25% |
| Burleson | 10 mi | 61% | 7% |
| Grandview | 10 mi | 84% | under 1% |
| Joshua | 11 mi | 46% | 16% |
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