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Arlington, Texas
Inside Arlington's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 46% of mapped land, higher than 54% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 3%.
That clay share is above Tarrant County's 41%. FEMA's flood data list 150 flood losses since 2016 in the 13 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 153,137 homes, 33% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1986.
Data as of September 22, 2026 · sources · in Tarrant County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 13 overlapping ZIPs
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Arlington city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 46.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 3.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 66.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 8.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 46.3% |
| Urban land, not rated | 17.2% |
| Mapped soil | 63,594 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Black | 10% | 91% |
| Heiden | 9% | 80% |
| Gasil | 9% | 0% |
| Crosstell | 8% | 98% |
| Navo | 7% | n/a |
| Rader | 3% | 30% |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 8.3% by land area here, and 46% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 46% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Tarrant County is in drought on the latest map, and 46% of Arlington's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
USDA rates 66% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Tarrant County
100% of Tarrant County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the September 22, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Arlington. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76001 | 11% | 15 | $315,886 |
| 76017 | 11% | 23 | $259,947 |
| 76010 | 9% | 6 | $389,549 |
| 76011 | 9% | 4 | $60,796 |
| 76012 | 8% | 18 | $551,955 |
| 76018 | 8% | 7 | $64,134 |
| 76013 | 8% | 35 | $1.8 million |
| 76016 | 8% | 25 | $358,902 |
| 76002 | 7% | 5 | $25,549 |
| 76006 | 7% | 6 | $65,963 |
| 76014 | 6% | 2 | $21,755 |
| 76015 | 4% | 4 | $59,873 |
| 76005 | 4% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Arlington
| Housing units | 153,137 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 33% |
| Built 2000 or later | 24% |
| Owner-occupied | 54% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $304,700 |
| Single-family detached | 60% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pantego | 2 mi | 11% | 6% |
| Dalworthington Gardens | 2 mi | 25% | 8% |
| Grand Prairie | 6 mi | 58% | 2% |
| Kennedale | 7 mi | 35% | 9% |
| Forest Hill | 9 mi | 48% | under 1% |
| Mansfield | 9 mi | 73% | 4% |
| Richland Hills | 10 mi | 33% | 1% |
| Hurst | 10 mi | 27% | 13% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (September 22, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status