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Athens, Texas
Inside Athens' city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6% of mapped land. A shallow water table limits basements on 13%.
That clay share is below Henderson County's 25%. FEMA's flood data list 8 flood losses since 2016 in the 2 ZIP codes overlapping the city. Of its 5,408 homes, 54% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1978.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Henderson 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 Athens
Foundation repair in Athens: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 6% of Athens' mapped land.
About 3,300 of Athens' 5,408 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 Athens city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 13.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 43.6% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 6.1% |
| Urban land, not rated | 8.5% |
| Mapped soil | 12,957 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Pickton | 25% | n/a |
| Wolfpen | 11% | n/a |
| Tonkawa | 7% | n/a |
| Kirvin | 6% | n/a |
| Cuthbert | 5% | 0% |
| Bernaldo | 5% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
With shrink-swell clay on 6% and a shallow water table on 13% of the land, the soil survey points to neither problem across most of Athens; conditions still vary lot by lot.
Drought in Henderson County
100% of Henderson 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 Athens. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75751 | 83% | 8 | $540,677 |
| 75752 | 17% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Athens
| Housing units | 5,408 |
| Median year built | 1978 |
| Built before 1980 | 54% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $210,800 |
| Single-family detached | 61% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murchison | 7 mi | 20% | 36% |
| Log Cabin | 11 mi | 78% | 13% |
| Malakoff | 11 mi | 68% | 43% |
| Caney City | 12 mi | 24% | 64% |
| Eustace | 13 mi | 68% | 40% |
| Star Harbor | 13 mi | 52% | 36% |
| Brownsboro | 14 mi | 0% | 38% |
| Payne Springs | 15 mi | 69% | 47% |
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