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Anahuac, Texas
Inside Anahuac's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 5 cities in Chambers County. A shallow water table limits basements on 71%, the highest of 5 cities in Chambers County.
That clay share is above Chambers County's 63%. USDA doesn't rate the 27% of mapped land classed as urban land, so these shares are floors. FEMA's flood data list 116 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77514 overlapping the city. Of its 962 homes, 60% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Chambers 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 Anahuac
Foundation repair in Anahuac: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 69% of Anahuac's mapped land, more than in 74% of Texas cities.
About 900 of Anahuac's 962 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 Anahuac city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 69.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 71.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 69.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 26.7% |
| Mapped soil | 1,329 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Vamont | 68% | n/a |
| Bevil | 2% | n/a |
| Harris | 1% | n/a |
| Evadale | under 1% | n/a |
| Follet | under 1% | n/a |
| Aldine | under 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.1% by land area here, and 69% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 69% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Chambers County is in drought on the latest map, and 69% of Anahuac's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 71% of Anahuac's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 69% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Chambers County
100% of Chambers 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 Anahuac. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77514 | 100% | 116 | $5.6 million |
Homes in Anahuac
| Housing units | 962 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 60% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 74% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $226,900 |
| Single-family detached | 90% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cove | 9 mi | 72% | 51% |
| Beach City | 10 mi | 22% | 40% |
| Old River-Winfree | 12 mi | 63% | 39% |
| Mont Belvieu | 13 mi | 42% | 44% |
| Baytown | 17 mi | 61% | 59% |
| Devers | 19 mi | 13% | 86% |
| Ames | 20 mi | 8% | 86% |
| Liberty | 20 mi | 51% | 69% |
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