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Balmorhea, Texas
Inside Balmorhea's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 69% of mapped land, the highest of 3 cities in Reeves County. A shallow water table limits basements on 69%, the highest of 3 cities in Reeves County.
That clay share is above Reeves County's 11%. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 79718 overlapping the city. Of its 176 homes, 58% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1969.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Reeves 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 Balmorhea
Foundation repair in Balmorhea: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 69% of Balmorhea's mapped land, more than in 74% of Texas cities.
About 100 of Balmorhea's 176 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 Balmorhea city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 69.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 69.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 69.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 69.0% |
| Mapped soil | 334 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Balmorhea | 69% | n/a |
| Toyah | 23% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.7% 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: 14.8% of Reeves County is in drought on the latest map, and 69% of Balmorhea's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 69% of Balmorhea'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 Reeves County
14.8% of Reeves 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 Balmorhea. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79718 | 100% | 1 | $1,020 |
Homes in Balmorhea
| Housing units | 176 |
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Built before 1980 | 58% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 53% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $54,400 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyah | 23 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Town of Pecos | 31 mi | 1% | 18% |
| Barstow | 39 mi | 0% | 0% |
| Alpine | 43 mi | 38% | 0% |
| Marfa | 49 mi | 3% | 0% |
| Fort Stockton | 51 mi | 1% | under 1% |
| Valentine | 52 mi | 12% | 0% |
| Pyote | 53 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